Chapter 8 Confederation to Constitution

Section OneThe Confederation Era

I Can describe the expansion of the nation and the development of the state

governments.

Write these down and answer them with complete sentences.• 1.) What did the American settlers find when

they reached Kentucky?• 2.) Why did the Articles of Confederation not

take affect until 1781?• 3.) What did the Land Ordinance of 1785 do?• 4.) Why did Massachusetts farmers rebel

against their state legislature?• 5.) How was the Northwest Ordinance different

than the Land Ordinance of 1785?

1.) What did the American settlers find when they reached Kentucky?

1.) Answer

• There were rich river valleys and large numbers of buffaloes.

• There were also a few Native Americans who lived, hunted, and fished the area.

2.) Why did the Articles of Confederation not take affect until 1781?

2.) Answer

• Some states refused to accept the Articles until states with Western land claims agreed to give up those claims.

• By 1781, all of the states agreed that Congress should control the Western lands, and all states agreed to the Articles.

3.) What did the Land Ordinance of 1785 do?

3.) Answer

• It organized the Northwest Territory geographically into six-mile-square plots, called townships.

4.) Why did Massachusetts farmers rebel against their state legislature?

4.) Answer

• The legislature did not pass debt relief, which would have helped the farmers.

• In response, the farmers rebelled.

5.) How was the Northwest Ordinance different than the Land Ordinance of 1785?

5.) Answer

• The Northwest Ordinance organized the Northwest Territory politically, instead of geographically.

• It set rules for the settlement and government of the territories.

Articles of Confederation Notes

I Can analyze the strengths and weaknesses of the Articles of

ConfederationTurn to Page 206

Cornell Notes

Left Side of Cornell Notes

• Right Side of Cornell Notes

A.) The New Government

• After the American Revolution the Articles of Confederation was the government in place for America.

1.) Weaknesses

• National Congress could not pass tax laws

• All 13 states had to agree to change• 9 of 13 (almost 70%) had to vote yes to

pass a law• No executive leader• Nation was deeply in debt from the

Revolutionary War• Did not have the power to tax or

enforce laws.

2.) Strengths

• Transitional Government-helped get through the Revolutionary War.

• Encouraged settlers to move west of the Mountains.

• Created 2 new territories: Northwest and Southwest

2a.) Passed the Northwest Ordinance

• Plan to govern Northwest Territory.• Plan for territory to become states-

5,000 free men = Territorial Legislature and 60,000 free men=can ask to become a state.

• No slavery in the NW Territory• All 13 original states had to give up

their claim to the western territory.

2b.) Ordinance of 1785

• Western land to be surveyed and sold for $1.25 an acre.

• Land divided into townships with 36 sections

• One Section from each township set aside for a public school

3.) Articles of Confederation Fail

• Shay’s Rebellion-Farmers burn county courthouses destroying tax records.

• Stopped by Massachusetts militia.• States frightened by weakness of

the nation and call for a convention.

B.) Constitutional Convention

• Scrap the Articles of Confederation• Write the Constitution.• Goal was to balance the Convention

called in Philadelphia to fix the weak Articles of Confederation.

• Actually striving for rights of the individuals with the need for a strong national government that could ensure peace and order.

B.) Constitutional Convention Continued

• Chairman: George Washington• 55 Delegates from the States:

Founding Fathers

I can distinguish between a antifederalist and a

federalist.

Answers to the 4 Circles

Shays Rebellion

• Farmers were not capable of paying their taxes so their farms were repossessed. The farmers rebelled by burning important documents and then trying to take over a weapons depot. It took the Massachusetts Militia to come in and stop the rebellion.

• Articles of Confederation had problems taxing the people of the 13 Colonies.

• This also showed a weakness in the Articles by not being able to enforce laws.

War Debts

• Without the ability to set and collect taxes the federal government could not pay off its war debts, including paying citizens who had helped to supply the troops.

• More people started to believe that if the federal government was to be effective it needed the power of taxation

Trade Issues

• Only 5 of the 13 colonies sent representation to the convention American trade policy suffered from a lack of direction.

• People wanted the federal government to be able to make and enforce trade rules

Moving West

• Now that the war is over people are now allowed to move westward which was not easy.

• The Wilderness road was more like a trail than an actual road.

• Tension with the Native Americans.

I Can identify key delegates to the Constitutional

Convention

Turn To Page 205People Pages

1.) Daniel Boone

• 1775• Helped build the

Wilderness Road

• Was apart of the movement to Kentucky.

2.) Daniel Shays

• 1787• Revolutionary

War Veteran who needed financial help from the government.

• Shays Rebellion

3.) Edmund Randolph

• May 15, 1787• Governor of

Virginia• Attended the

Constitutional Convention

• Wanted to reform the government.

4.) George Washington

• 1787-Delagate at the Constitutional Convention

• 1789-Becomes 1st President of the United States.

• A War Commander Veteran and Farmer.

5.) Benjamin Franklin

• 1787-Constitutional Convention Delegate

• Scientist and Statesmen

6.) James Madison

• 1787 Constitutional Convention Delegate

• Read over 100 books to prepare for the convention.

7.) William Patterson

• 1787 • New Jersey

delegate, he responded to the Virginia Plan and presented the New Jersey Plan as an alternate.

8.) Roger Sherman

• 1787 • Delegate of

Connecticut, proposed the Great Compromise.

9.) Alexander Hamilton

• 1787 Politician, who helped write the Federalist Papers, he showed people why they should support ratification.

10.) John Jay

• 1787• Secretary of

Foreign Affairs for the Confederation Congress.

• Helped write the Federalist Papers.

11.) Patrick Henry

• June 1787• Member of the

Virginian House of Burgesses.

• Refused to vote for the Constitution until the Bill of Rights was added.

12.) George Mason

• June 1787• Delegate to

Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia.

• Opposed the signing of the final document until a Bill of Rights were to be added.

Section 3 Chapter 8 Ratifying the Constitution

Answers to the Federalist vs. Antifederalist

I Can identify the positions of the Federalist and

Antifederalist.

Warm Up 1.) Alexander Hamilton asked Congress to pass a law which dealt with tariffs in 1791. What are

tariffs?

• A.) Taxes• B.) Loans• C.) Savings Bonds• D. ) Restrictions

1.) What were the Federalists?

• People who supported ratification of the Constitution.

2.) Who were the Antifederalists?

• People who opposed ratification of the Constitution.

3.) Who were leading federalists?

• Alexander Hamilton• James Madison• John Jay

4.) Who were the leading Antifederalists?

• George Mason • Patrick Henry

5.) What reasons did the Federalists give to defend their views on the

ratification

• Removing some powers from the states and giving more powers to the national government.

• Supported dividing the powers amongst the different branches of the government.

• Also proposed to have a single person lead the executive branch.

6.) What reasons did the Antifederalists give to defend their

views on the Constitution?• Wanted important political powers to

remain with the states. • They wanted the legislature to have

more power than the executive.• They feared one individual might

become a tyrant.• They demanded a Bill of Rights to be

added to the Constitution to protect the rights of the individual person.