FROM CONFEDERATION TO
UNION: The Articles of Confederation and the Constitution
Powers of State Government after the Revolution
Legislative branchelected two house legislature
Executive branchelected governor
Judicial branchsystem of courts
All white males who owned some property could vote
Higher property ownership qualification to hold office
New Central Government
Articles of Confederation Established a central government consisting of
one body – Congress Each state given one vote 9 out of 13 needed to pass laws Unanimous vote required to amend
Accomplishments of the Articles Winning the War - Negotiated favorable terms in
the treaty of peace Land Ordinance of 1785 – Established public
policy for western lands Northwest Ordinance 1787 –
Granted self-government to territory and prohibited slavery
Established rules for creating new states
Social Change After the War
Abolition of Aristocratic Titles Reinvented the Role of Women Separation of Church and
State Slavery
Weakness of Articles of Confederation
Foreign Relations: European nations had little respect for the new
nation that could not: pay debts force states to adhere to the Treaty of Paris take effective and united action in a crisis
Britain and Spain threatened to take advantage of U.S. weakness – interested in western lands
Weakness of Articles of ConfederationDomestic Issues: Shay’s Rebellion – Rebellion of
farmers against high state taxes, imprisonment over debts, and lack of paper money
Depression as a result of foreign trade reduction
Quarrels between states
Annapolis Convention Although representatives from all states were
invited, only 5 states sent delegates to Annapolis
Madison and Hamilton persuaded others to reconvene in a new meeting to revise the Articles
Issues at the Constitutional Convention Change the Articles or draft an entirely
new document? Nationalists favored a strong central
government System of Checks and Balances
The Debate over Representation The Virginia Plan
Favored large states New Jersey Plan
Favored small states The Great Compromise
Provided a two-house congress Equal representation in the Senate Representation based on population in the
House of Representatives
Slavery
How were slaves going to be counted? Were the slave trade and slavery itself to be
allowed under the Constitution?
3/5 Compromise: Each slave counted as 3/5 of a person for
taxation and population Slaves could be imported for 20 years (until
1808), at which time Congress could vote to abolish the practice
““Great as the evil is, a dismemberment of the Great as the evil is, a dismemberment of the
Union would be worse.”Union would be worse.”--James Madison--James Madison
Trade
Northern states wanted central government to regulate interstate commerce and foreign trade.
South was afraid taxes would be placed on agricultural products (i.e., tobacco & rice)
Commercial Compromise – Congress regulates interstate and foreign commerce, including tariffs on imports, but prohibited taxes on exports
The Presidency
Election Some argued that
President should hold office for life
President’s term – 4 years but set no limit to the number of terms
Electoral College –feared too much democracy might lead to mob rule
Powers Veto acts of Congress May appoint federal
judges who serve for life
Electoral College
Election of the President was yet another compromise.
Here’s how it works: People from each state choose electors (process
different from state to state) # of electors based on population Meet as one body to vote for President – vote for
two people (most votes=President, the second most votes=Vice President)
If no one received the majority, the House of Representatives selects President based on majority vote
Federalists v. Anti-Federalists
Federalists supported the Constitution and wanted a strong national government
Federalist Papers Alexander Hamilton, John
Jay and James Madison writing as Publius
85 essays, printed in newspapers, explaining the Constitution and trying to convince people to ratify the Constitution
Anti-Federalists- opposed the Constitution because it lacked a Bill of Rights, their protection against government interference
What did they ratify?
A federal system government Separation of powers into three branches System of checks and balances Popular sovereignty as the guiding principle
