Social Studies Survey Articles of Confederation to the Constitution
Dec 25, 2015
Social Studies SurveyArticles of Confederation to the
Constitution
Federal ConfederationUnitary
All key powers are held by the
central government
State/regional
authorities hold most of the power
Strong central
government
Weaker central
government
Unitary System: system of government that gives all key power to the national or central government.
Examples: Early Great Britain and France
Central
Authority
UnitaryWays Government Distributes Power
Regional
Authority
Regional
Authority
Regional
Authority
Regional
Authority
List of Unitary States
Afghanistan Albania Abkhazia Algeria Angola Armenia Azerbaijan Bangladesh Belarus Belize Benin Bhutan Bolivia Botswana Brunei
Bulgaria Burkina Faso Burundi Cambodia Cameroon Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Chile People's Republic of China Colombia Congo (Brazzaville) Congo (Kinshasa)
Costa Rica Côte d'Ivoire Croatia Cuba Cyprus Czech Republic Denmark Djibouti Dominica Dominican Republic East Timor Ecuador Egypt El Salvador Equatorial Guinea
List of Unitary States
Eritrea EstoniaFiji Finland France Gabon The Gambia Georgia Ghana Greece Grenada Guatemala Guinea Guinea-Bissau Guyana
Haiti Honduras Hungary Iceland Indonesia Iran Ireland Israel Italy JamaicaJapan Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya Kiribati
Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Laos Latvia Lebanon Lesotho Liberia Libya Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Macedonia Madagascar Malawi Maldives
List of Unitary States
Mali Malta Marshall IslandsMauritania Mauritius Moldova Monaco Mongolia Montenegro Morocco Mozambique Myanmar Namibia Nauru Netherlands
New Zealand Nicaragua Niger North Korea Norway Oman Palau Panama Papua New Guinea ParaguayPeru Philippines Poland Portugal Qatar
Romania Rwanda Saint Lucia Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Samoa San Marino São Tomé and Príncipe Saudi Arabia Senegal Serbia Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore Slovakia
List of Unitary States
Slovenia Solomon IslandsSouth AfricaSouth Korea Spain Sri Lanka Suriname Swaziland Sweden Syria Republic of China (Taiwan) Tajikistan Tanzania Thailand Togo
Tonga Trinidad and Tobago Tunisia Turkey Turkmenistan Tuvalu Uganda UkraineUnited KingdomUruguayUzbekistan Vanuatu Vatican City Vietnam Yemen
Zambia Zimbabwe
government that divides the powers between the national and state or provincial governments.
Examples: United States, Canada, and Russia
Federation / FederalWays Government Distributes Power
Regiona
l Authorit
y Central
Authority
Regiona
l Authorit
y
Regiona
l Authorit
y
Regiona
l Authorit
y
List of countries with Federal Governments (24)
Argentina Australia Austria Belgium Bosnia and Herzegovina Brazil Canada Comoros Ethiopia Germany India Malaysia
Mexico Micronesia Nigeria Pakistan Russia St. Kitts and Nevis South Africa Spain Switzerland United Arab Emirates United States of America Venezuela
Countries in Transition to FederalismIraq Sudan
Countries Considering a Federal SystemSri Lanka
a loose union of indepen-dent states
Central
Authority
ConfederationWays Government Distributes Power
Regional
Authority
Regional
Authority
Regional
Authority
Regional
Authority
First adopted by Continental Congress in 1777
Ratified- approved, in March 1781
States wanted a confederation among the 13 states instead of a strong national government
Congress was the entire government; no federal executive or court
Congress had only powers expressed in the Articles
All other power remained with the States
1. Make War and Peace2. Send and receive ambassadors3. Enter into treaties4. Raise and equip a navy5. Maintain army by help of states6. Appoint senior military officers7. Fix standard of weights and measures8. Regulate Indian affairs9. Establish Post offices10. Decide certain disputes among states
1) Congress did not have the power to levy or collect taxes
It could only raise money by borrowing or requesting money
2) Congress has no power to enforce treaties
3) Every state, despite its size, has one vote
4) Congress did not have the power to regulate commerce
5) Amending the articles required all consent of all statesThe articles were never amended
Greatest achievement was of a land policy for lands west of Appalachia
Individual states ceded or yielded their claims to the central government
Congress enacted two land Ordinances- laws
1. Ordinance of 1785- survey and division of West lands by townships
2. Northwest Ordinance of 1787- territories to be developed for statehood on equal basis w/old states
1. Single territory with Pennsylvania, Ohio River, Mississippi River, and Great Lakes as boundaries
2. 5,000 adults- ability to elect an assembly
3. 60,000 adults- apply for statehood on equal basis as older states
Provided a government to get us through American Revolution
In 1783, negotiated a peace treaty with Great Britain and recognized American Independence
4 Cabinet departments: Foreign Affairs, War, Marine, and Treasury
States quarrel over boundary lines and deal with foreign nations
1787 government owed $40 million to foreign governments and Revolutionary war vets
Armed groups of farmers, led by Daniel Shays, closed courts to prevent farms from being foreclosed
Were advancing to arsenal in Springfield before they were met by 4,000 militia
People began to wonder if a stronger government was necessary
“This dreadful situation has alarmed every man of principle and property in New England. What will give us security against the violence of lawless men? Our government must be (strengthened), changed, or altered to secure our lives and property.”
----Henry Knox
Concerned about problems between the states of Maryland and Virginia, George Washington called the Mount Vernon Convention to discuss commerce
When only 5 delegates showed up, Alexander Hamilton proposed they meet again in 1787 at Philadelphia to revise the Articles of Confederation
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bO7FQsCcbD8
John Greene Crash Course #8
55 total delegates Oldest delegate and
signer: Benjamin Franklin President of Convention:
George Washington “Father of the
Constitution”: James Madison
All meetings were closed Rhode Island was last
state to ratify Constitution Constitution finished and
signed on September 17, 1787.
Limited and Representative Government
Power divided between 3 branches
Limit power of state to coin money
Strengthen National Government
5 Compromises that changed our national identity and government
http://www.regentsprep.org/regents/ushisgov/themes/government/
convention.htm
1) Virginia Plan (bigger states)- Scrap Articles Congress has two houses
(each based on Population)2) New Jersey Plan (smaller
states)- equality for smaller states Congress has single house keep Articles but create
stronger central government
Legislature have two parts:
1.House of Representatives-based on population
2.Senate-Two per state (elected by state legislators)
1/3 of southern states were African American
South wanted to count slaves as population but not for taxes, North wanted opposite
3/5 of the enslaved people would be counted for both taxes and population
North wanted government to regulate trade with other nations, South afraid they would interfere with slave trade
Could not ban slave trade till 1808
Congress regulated interstate and foreign commerce
Could not impose export taxes because South feared Congress would cripple their economy
Electoral College System: indirect election of president by state electors
Presidents will serve 4 year terms
No limit on term limits (will be changed with 22 amendment in 1951)
FEDERALIST VIEW ANTI-FEDERALIST VIEW
Favored the Constitution
Merchants and Cities
Strong national government
Bill of Rights not needed, 8 states already had one
Opposed the Constitution
Farmers and Laborers Constitution drafted in
secrecy Extralegal (not
sanctioned by law) States Rights Wanted a Bill of Rights
FEDERALIST ANTI-FEDERALIST