Post on 12-Dec-2015
Fears of the New NationFears created during the Revolutionary period shape the
new governments created in America
Americans feared:
Strong central governments (like Parliament)
Strong chief executive (like King George)
As a result Americans:
Were suspicious of all forms of federal government
Resisted taking power away from the states
Feared concentrating power in the hands of one group or one individual
Because of early fears Americans created a very weak central government: The Articles of Confederation
The Articles of ConfederationCreated by the Second Continental Congress as a
government to unite the colonies
Articles government consisted of:
Single chamber legislature (equal representation)
Representatives were elected by state legislatures
States were members of a loose confederation
Weaknesses of new government:
No executive or judicial branches
Difficult to amend Articles (13 out of 13)
Difficult to pass laws (9 out of 13)
No power to tax
No power to regulate commerce
Sovereign states could be problematic
Problems faced by the new governmentMassive national debt (over 160 million)
Economic depression begins in 1784
Result of decreased trade with Britain
Low crop yields
Manage the Northwest territory
Chronic overpopulation of New England colonies
Made worse by depression
Land Ordinances of 1784/85
Surveyed and divided western lands for sale
Established procedure for statehood
Northwest Ordinance 1787
Banned slavery in Northwest territory
Clarified procedure for statehood
Problems faced by the new governmentContinued friction with Britain/Native Americans
Occupation of Northwestern forts by British
British sold arms to native American tribes
Battle of Fallen Timbers
Shays’ Rebellion 1786
Largest of a series of small rebellions against state officials
Many rural farmers were deep in debt (lacked specie)
Shays organized farmers to close local courts in Massachusetts
Stopped by privately funded state militia
Many sympathized with Shays
Created need to revise the Articles
Need to revise the ArticlesPhiladelphia Convention
55 delegates from 12 states met with the intent to revise the Articles
Meet in secret
Two immediate issues
How to “revise” the Articles?
How to balance interests of the states?
North vs. South
Slave vs. Free States
Big vs. Small States
Factional politics create the need to compromise
Constitutional CompromisesHow will states be represented in the government?
Two competing plans emerge
Virginia Plan (Madison)
Bicameral legislature
Representation based on population
New Jersey Plan (Paterson)
Unicameral legislature
Equal representation
Great (Connecticut) Compromise
Bicameral legislature
Lower house based on population (House)
Upper house with equal representation (Senate)
Constitutional CompromisesHow to deal with the issue of slavery?
The Constitution does not formally recognize slavery
Avoided the critical issue (threat of secession)
Includes only the provision that Congress would be allowed to ban the importation of slaves after 1808
3/5 Compromise
For the purposes of representation in the House of Representatives/Electoral College slaves were to be counted as 3/5 of a person by the census
Who should have the power to regulate interstate commerce?
Commerce compromise--Congress is given this responsibility
Constitutional CompromisesHow much power should be retained by the states?
Framers left a large number of powers to the states but left the federal government as the supreme power
How should the federal government be kept in check?
Framers built in checks and balances
Promised to add a Bill of Rights
Added 4 years later by Congress 1791
Ratifying the ConstitutionApproved by the Philadelphia convention September 17,
1787
To become law it had to be ratified by conventions in 9 states
Became law June 21, 1788
Many states were divided over the new Constitution
Debate over the Constitution
Two sides emerged:
Federalists—supporters of the Constitution
Antifederalists—opponents of the Constitution
War of words was waged in newspapers and legislatures
Federalist Papers—essays written by Hamilton, Madison, and Jay to explain framers position
Criticisms of the ConstitutionLacked sufficient protection of individual rights
Solved in part by the Bill of Rights
Constitution represented the interests of the wealthy and powerful
Common concern of rural farmers
Only the House of Representatives was directly elected by the people
No guarantee of universal suffrage
Many states had property qualifications
Federal government/President would become too powerful
System of checks and balances
Universally acceptable candidate for President: Washington