Articles of Confederation and New Challenges

I. Ideas about Government

A. English1. Colonists drew ideas from English Bill of

Rights2. Magna Carta - made the king (leader)

subject to the law

B. Virginia Statute of Religious Freedom1. No person could be forced to attend a

church or pay taxes for a church2. Separation of church and state

I. Ideas about Government (cont.)

C. Right to Vote1. Suffrage - the right to vote2. Any white man who paid taxes could

vote.3. Women and African Americans

a) Some states originally allowed these groups to vote

b) These rights were soon taken away

II. Articles of Confederation

A. 2nd Continental Congress met to discuss a new national constitution

B. Congress1. Settle conflicts between states2. Make coins (money)3. Borrow money4. Make treaties with other countries and

Native Americans5. States could refuse request for money

and soldiers

II. Articles of Confederation (cont.)

C. Ratification - official approval1. Conflict over western lands slowed

ratification by all 13 states2. Maryland was last state to ratify the

Articles3. Thomas Jefferson assured Maryland

that western lands would be made into new states

D. The first national U.S. government is put into place!

III. Northwest Territory

A. Land Ordinance of 17851. Set up a system for surveying and

dividing up western lands2. Divided land into townships (36 sq.

mi.) a) One lot (sq. mi.) saved for

educationb) Four lots given to veteransc) Rest sold to the public

III. Northwest Territory (cont.)

B. Northwest Ordinance of 17871. Determined how new states would join

the Uniona) Population had to reach 60,000b) Territory had to draft a constitution

2. Other effectsa) Protected civil libertiesb) Required public educationc) Banned slavery in future territories

C. Five Territories - Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin

IV. New Challenges

A. Economic Problems1. Trade with Britain

a) Closed many ports to U.S. shipsb) Forced American merchants to pay

high tariffs (taxes) for goods imported to G.B.

2. Trade with Spaina) Closed the lower Mississippi to U.S.

shipsb) Hurt farmers and merchants because

their goods could not be shipped out.

IV. New Challenges (cont.)

A. Economic Problems (cont.)3. Trade Among States

a) Congress had no power to regulate interstate commerce

b) States followed their own interestsc) Made it hard to trade between states

4. Inflationa) States had hard time paying off debtb) Began printing large amounts of

money that had no valuec) Congress had no power to stop

states from printing more money

IV. New Challenges (cont.)

A. Economic Problems (cont.)5. Weak economy

a) All the above factors helped lead to a depression

b) Low economic activity combined with high unemployment

IV. New Challenges (cont.)

B. Shay’s Rebellion1. MA tried collecting money by

taxing landa) Hit farmers hardestb) August 1786 - farmers revolt

closing courts in western MA2. Daniel Shay (Sept. 1786)

a) Led a revolt to shut down the MA Supreme Court

b) Defeated by state troops

IV. New Challenges (cont.)

B. Shay’s Rebellion (cont.)3. Showed the weakness of the

Confederation governmenta) Most power held by statesb) One branch of governmentc) No system of checks and balances

C. Constitutional Convention1. Philadelphia - May 17872. Delegates from all 13 States3. Met to revise the Articles of

Confederation