American

IndependenceTHE ARTICLES OF CONFEDERATION, NORTHWEST LAND ORDINANCE,

THE CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION

After the Revolutionary War

Need for new governing bodies

Reluctant to establish a central authority may resemble a king/ tyranny

1776, states create separate constitutions

All wanted a republic with elected representatives

Some with strong legislature unicameral legislature

Some with strong executive bicameral legislature

After the Revolutionary War

Despite differences, general rise in the power of the common man

Voters could elect for both houses, not just lower house

Voters could elect governors (prev. only 2 colonies had this power)

Issue: Voting rights were still debated; should the right to vote be extended to all

free men? Even those with little or no property?

Pennsylvania opened voting to all men over 21 who paid any taxes

However, most states maintained colonial property requirements to vote (mainly because

most white men owned at least a farm)

John Adams warned against letting poor people vote he opposed political equality

No women and no slaves

“Tyranny of the Majority”

Over time, House of Representatives gained a lot of power

Increased power fear of “tyranny of the majority”

What do you think they mean by “tyranny of the majority?” How could this affect legislation in the states?

Articles of Confederation

1777, Continental Congress drafted the original constitution for the union of the

states, known as the Articles of Confederation

Confederation = a league or alliance of states that agree to work together

Loose collective, little to no centralized govt

Reflected ideals of the Declaration of Independence

States retained sovereignty (right to govern themselves)

Federal govt Congress

Each state with one vote

No executive and no judicial branches

Executive powers spread among Congress

Articles of Confederation

Federal congress’s powers were limited by the Art. Confed.

They could declare and conduct war; negotiate peace; foreign affairs;

and administer the relations with Natives

They could not levy taxes the federal government had to rely on

contributions from the states (which was unreliable)

Amendments had to be approved by all 13 states *why is this

problematic?

The Northwest Territory

The Northwest Territory

Since Congress can’t tax, they sell land to raise revenue

Land Ordinance of 1785 –a program designed to distribute the public lands

Grids divided the land into hundreds of townships

However, the price and size of the land favored the wealthy

To obtain land settlers often purchased land from speculators

The Ordinance assigned govt for territory

Allowed territories to gain statehood (population)

60k people to be a state

Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, and part of Minnesota

No slavery in new territories

New Territory, New Conflict

Natives

Spain fear that US expansion would threaten their colonies

No trade in Louisiana

Britain was bitter rejected free trade; only trade that favored

Britain

Patriots could buy from British, but not sell to British

Congress too weak to coordinate common front against Britain’s

mercantile policy

Problems in the Confederation

The nation was bankrupt

Congress could not:

Establish a common currency

Regulate interstate commerce

Or levy taxes

State relief for citizens was varied anger over repossession of land

Shay’s Rebellion (1786) Massachusetts

Farmer/ veteran leads rebellion to seize weapons to shut down courts

Articles needed to be revised or a new constitution must be written

Weaknesses of Articles of

Confederation

Congress had no power to levy or collect taxes

Congres had no power to regulate commerce

Congress had no power to enforce its laws

Approval of 9 states was needed to enact laws

13 states needed to approve amendments

no executive branch

no national court system