110 likes | 172 Views
Articles of Confederation. Historical Inspiration. Magna Carta (1215) A document signed by King John making the king subject to law English Bill of Rights (1689) Declared supremacy of Parlaiment King/Queen can’t change laws without consent of Parlaiment
E N D
Historical Inspiration • Magna Carta (1215) • A document signed by King John making the king subject to law • English Bill of Rights (1689) • Declared supremacy of Parlaiment • King/Queen can’t change laws without consent of Parlaiment • Pepole’s representatives have stronger voice in government • Enlightenment • Use of reason to examine old ideas and traditions
American Inspiration • Town meetings • Virginia House of Burgesses • Mayflower Compact • English colonies constitution (1639)
What do we want in our new government? • Inspiration from Declaration of Independence • Keep individual leaders from gaining too much power • All leaders have to obey laws • Protect the rights of citizens or those accused of crimes • (some wanted) ban slavery
What do we want in our new government? Cont’d • Religious freedom • Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom • Thomas Jefferson • No person could be forced to attend a particular church or be required to pay for church with tax money • Right to vote (suffrage) • Not just men who own land, but anyone who paid taxes
Writing the Articles of Confederation • Second Continental Congress charged with task of creating national government • Committee with 13 (one delegate from each colony) • Congress would become the single branch of the national government • Congress had limited powers and states had more powers
Writing the Articles of Confederation • Started during Revolutionary War • Passed November 15, 1777 • Sent to each colony (now state) for ratification (official approval)
How was the document received? • Conflicts over land claims • Finally ratified by all states in 1779
What about the lands west of the Appalachian Mountains and east of the Mississippi River? • Land Ordinance of 1785 • System for dividing up land • Split into 36 townships (640 acres each) • 1 for public school • 4 for veterans • Rest sold to public
Northwest Ordinance (1787) • Congress passed Northwest Ordinance (1787) • Established Northwest Territory • Current states of Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, Illinois, and Wisconsin • Established a system for bringing new states into the union • Northwest Territory divided into smaller regions • When the area reached 60,000 people, they could draft their own constitution and ask to join union
Northwest Ordinance (1787) • Protected civil liberties • Required public education • “there shall be neither slavery nor involuntary servitude (forced labor) in the northwest territory”slavery was banned