The Confederation Government - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

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The Confederation Government

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Title: The Confederation Government


1
The Confederation Government
2
State Governments Rule!
  • Since Americans were fearful of a strong central
    government, most power was held by the States
  • States began drafting new Constitutions almost as
    soon as the Revolutionary War Began
  • Constitution Framework for Government
  • New Hampshire
  • First state constitution
  • January 1776
  • Virginia
  • Virginia Constitution -1776
  • Written by George Mason, Thomas Jefferson, and
    James Madison
  • Included Bill of Rights
  • Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom 1780
  • Law written by Thomas Jefferson that declared the
    state of Virginia would not support or favor a
    particular religion
  • Virginians should make up their own mind about
    religion, and not be influenced by the state, or
    an official church
  • One of only 3 things on Thomas Jeffersons
    tombstone
  • Massachusetts
  • Massachusetts Constitution 1780
  • Written by John Adams
  • Separation of powers
  • Included a separate and independent Judiciary

3
Our First Government The Articles of
Confederation
  • Drafted by John Dickinson in June 1776
  • Approved in 1777, but not ratified until 1781
  • Called for states to enter into a firm league of
    friendship with each other
  • States held most of the power
  • Weak central government
  • Couldnt force states to act
  • Dependant on each states cooperation
  • Congress was sure not give the Central Government
    too much power fearing it could become too much
    like the oppressive British monarchy that it just
    broke from

4
The Articles of Confederation
  • Continental Congress would become the Central
    Government
  • No Executive or Judicial Branch
  • Each state got one vote in Congress
  • Major Legislation had to be approved by 9 out of
    13 states
  • Amendments had to be approved by all 13 states
  • States would have to cede all western land claims
    to Central Government
  • Maryland (a state with no land claims) refused to
    ratify Articles for three years until all states
    had ceded their lands

5
The Northwest Territory
  • The Land Ordinance (1785)
  • Congress had to decide what to do with the new
    western lands
  • Set up a system for surveying and dividing the
    land
  • 36 square mile townships composed of 36 lots
  • One lot for a public school
  • Four lots for veterans
  • Remaining lots were sold to the public to raise
    money to pay off the war debt

6
The Northwest Territory
  • The Northwest Ordinance (1787)
  • The great success of the Confederation Government
  • Created the Northwest Territory present day IL,
    IN, OH, MI, WI
  • Created system to which new states would join the
    union
  • Divided area into smaller territories once
    population reached 5,000 men they could elect a
    government and send a non-voting rep to congress
  • Once each smaller territory had 60,000 people, it
    could be admitted into the union on equal footing
    with the other states
  • Created Bill of rights (trial by jury, religious
    freedom, etc.) for settlers
  • Banned slavery in the territory

7
Your Powers are Weak!
  • The Articles gave most power to the states
  • Weak Central government
  • No power to tax
  • States and Central Government had large war debts
  • Central Government could only request money from
    the states, could not make them pay
  • Britain was putting high tariffs on American
    goods going into Britain, but the US couldnt
    impose the same taxes on British goods
  • Trade imbalance hurt the economy and local
    manufacturers, farmers
  • One state would tax imports, so Britain would
    just sell to another
  • No power to raise an army
  • Could only request that States provide men, could
    not make them
  • Couldnt force Britain from their western forts
  • Spain closed down New Orleans to American
    merchants
  • Couldnt force Spain to reopen

8
Your Powers are Weak!
  • Couldnt enforce legislation
  • No executive branch
  • Couldnt regulate trade b/w states
  • Each state had its own currency
  • States were in debt from revolution, printed
  • large amounts of paper currency to pay it
  • Inflation
  • Each state had its own trade laws
  • Taxes, laws varied from state to state
  • Depression
  • Amendments had to be approved by all 13 states
  • Major Legislation had to be approved by 9 of 13
    states
  • Slow, rigorous process meant nothing got done

9
Shays rebellion
  • Massachusetts decided to tax property to pay its
    war time debts
  • Farmers and war veterans couldnt pay tax and
    were sent to debtors prison
  • Due to inflation, Continental dollars were
    worthless
  • In 1786, Daniel Shays led a group who formed a
    revolt
  • Closed down local courts preventing other debtors
    from being sentenced to prison
  • Tried to raid military supply house
  • Rebellion put down by local militia with one
    round of cannon fire
  • Shays rebellion showed the weaknesses of the
    Articles of Confederation
  • Federal Government couldnt help Massachusetts
    financially or militarily
  • Federal Government could provide solid financial
    system
  • Money was worthless
  • A new system of government was needed
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