Chapter 9

The Confederation and the Constitution

A Country Begins

Many not affected by the War Impact: Loyalists Leave, Upper Class Weakens Equality all the rage Easier to vote Property Requirements Lowered Primogeniture- Fathers Property to Oldest Son, this ended Anglican- Association with England- Reestablished Church vs. State- Virginia Statute (Jefferson) Dec. of Independence- All Men Created Equal Slavery Challenges- Quakers & Continental Congress stopped Slave Trade Slavery Too Hot to Handle, Country Couldnt Handle the Situation

Female Influence
Not given many rights Republican Motherhood

Serve as an example for the republican ideology A Prestigious Role Keepers of the Nations Conscience

State Constitutions
Confederation- States had more
independence and sometimes more power Constitution Commonalities

Bill of Rights- Basic Liberties Annual Elections- More Voter Accountability Weak Executive & Judicial Branches Strong Legislative Branches Many moved State Capitols away from the Coast (Political Shift)

Economic Changes
Loyalist/English Land
Mostly divided into Small Farms

English Imports Stopped

Self-Sufficient

Needed New Customers

Some Success (China) Inflation a Problem Average Joe worse off than before Distaste for all taxes and laws (Result from the Revolution)

A New Government
A Country of States, Not United States

Mistrust of Leadership Experimentation and Innovation Cheap British Supplies Hurt American Businesses (Huge Supply, Low

Prices) Good Leadership Second Continental Congress- Military Leadership & Foreign Policy, but little else States produced own money, military,& taxes Articles of Confederation (1777), not ratified until 1781 Land Issues, Some states received western lands, others did not These western lands led to the Northwest Ordinance (1787), which led to the settlement of new states (A Bonding Moment)

Articles of Confederation
1781-1787

A Firm League of Friendship Legislative Branch the Only Significant Branch Equal Representation 2/3rds Vote for Passing Unanimous Vote to Amend Did not regulate Commerce Had a voluntary Tax-Quota A Good Go-Between

Land Laws
Land Ordinance of 1785
Formed Townships Very Organized, Unlike Other Places Set Aside Land for a School Area North of the Ohio River Expected to form states No Slavery

Northwest Ordinance of 1787

Foreign Disputes
No Respect

English refused to deal with us (A Need for 13) Strong English Presence (Indian relations) Spanish controlled the Mississippi River France demanded paybacks and restricted trade from W. Indies Pirates off the coast of N. Africa (No Longer British protection)

Chaos in the Colonies

States Bickering Shays Rebellion in MASS (1786)

Farmers in MASS losing their farms because of taxes Mobocracy Conservatives- Pushed for Strong, Central Government

(exaggerated the condition) States Rights- (Downplayed the Condition) Mount Vernon (1785) & Annapolis (1786) held meetings to discuss the problems with the Articles of Confederation Meeting in Philadelphia (1787)

Constitutional Convention
Philadelphia (Summer of 1787)

55 Men from 12 States (R. Island not present) Revision of Arts of Confederation Secrecy Mostly Lawyers, Involved with their own state constitutions James Madison Father of the Constitution Notable Absences- Jefferson, Adams, Patrick Henry Smelt a Rat Average Age: 42 Main goal to strengthen the nation Start over

Time of Compromise
Representation

Big State Plan (Virginia) 2 Houses (Population, $) Small State Plan ( NJ) 1 House (Equal Representation) Great Compromise (CONN) 2 Houses (House of Reps) (Senate)

Executive Branch
Strong Leader Electoral College

Slavery

3/5ths Compromise

Constitution
Signed on September 17, 1787
17 weeks

The Basics

3 Branches Checks and Balances Separation of Powers Federal Judges- Lifetime Appointment Not all were pleased Anti Federalists, Federalists emerge, only 9 out of 13 had to approve

Final Ratification
New Constitution needed approval from 9 of the 13

states Spirited debates at the state level, hotly contested New York one of the last states to ratify, Hamilton, Jay & Madison wrote The Federalist, to help convince NY to ratify, Most states approved because they felt they needed to approve for the sake of their people Minority Triumph- a minority had overthrown the English and the Articles of Confederation, Conservatism wins