1. A LOOSE CONFEDERATION

2.  Constitution: a document that sets out the laws, principles, organization, and processes of a government  2 reasons:  Spelled out rights of citizens  Limited power of government  Virginia’s had bill of rights (list of freedoms that the government promises to protect)  Similar to colonial governments (executive & legislature)

3.  Why? ◦ Colonies needed to be united by national government to win independence  Why so difficult to write? ◦ Americans felt loyalty to individual states, not one nation ◦ Feared strong central government  Articles of Confederation=1 st American constitution approved in 1777  States sent delegates to Congress (could declare war, appoint military officers, coin money, responsible for foreign affairs)

4.  Congress could pass laws, but needed approval of 9 states  Couldn’t regulate trade b/t states or states & foreign countries  No president to execute laws or courts to settle conflicts

5.  Central government had no power to resolve conflicts between states  No power to tax ◦ Printed paper currency (money) with no value— Continental dollar ◦ States printed own money—caused confusion  Other nations took advantage ◦ Britain left troops in Ohio Valley ◦ Spain closed New Orleans port to American shipping

6.  Lands north of Ohio River & east of the Mississippi River  Land Ordinance of 1785: NW Territory would be surveyed & divided into townships  Northwest Ordinance: (1787) set up government for NW Territory ◦ Request to admit new states to the nation after 60,000 free settlers ◦ Eventually—Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin

7.  Depression: a period when business activity slows, prices and wages fall, & unemployment rises (post Revolution)  Hit farmers hard: ◦ Farmers borrowed money for high demand for farm products during war ◦ Demand went down after war; prices went down; farms were seized when couldn’t pay taxes ◦ Shays’ Rebellion: 1,000 farmers attacked courthouses to prevent seizing(led by Daniel Shays 1786; driven off by militia

8. THE CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION

9.  Shays’ Rebellion emphasized weaknesses of Articles  Opened May 25, 1787—55 delegates (from every state except RI)  Delegates included Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, & James Madison (“Father of the Constitution”)  Talks were secret—windows kept closed—to avoid outside pressures

10. VIRGINIA PLANBOTHNEW JERSEY PLAN  Edmund Randolph & James Madison  2 houses in legislature—seats based on population of states  ***Large states benefited Called for government w/ 3 branches: legislative (pass the laws) Executive (carry out the laws) Judicial (system of courts—are laws carried out fairly?)  William Paterson  Legislature with only 1 house: each state would have 1 vote regardless of population  Favored by small states

11.  Roger Sherman (Connecticut) worked out plan to satisfy large & small states  Two-house legislature: ◦ House of Representatives (lower house): elected by popular vote, based on population ◦ Senate(upper house): chosen by state legislatures, all states would have 2 senators

12.  Would slaves be part of the population? ◦ Three-Fifths Compromise: 3/5 of the slaves in any state would be counted  Northerners wanted slavery banned in entire nation; southerners said it would ruin economy ◦ Compromise=Congress couldn’t outlaw slavery for at least 20 years (then could regulate the trade) ◦ Northerners couldn’t stop fugitive slaves from being returned