1. A Growing Country, Growing Problems Please Hand in your Constitution Center Packets in pile on front table

2. After Independence  Articles of Confederation approved in 1781  Why would the new country create such a weak government?

3. Growth  Proclamation of 1763 gone  Westward Settlement begins  Central Government to sell land for revenue.

5. Jefferson’s Idea  Divide into self governing districts  Certain population = petition for statehood

7. Ordinance of 1785  Procedure for dividing and selling land  Township  6mi x 6mi / 36 sections of 640 Acres  Sold at 1 acre per 1 dollar

8. Northwest Ordinance  1787  Single District N of Ohio and E of Mississippi  60,000 could become a state  No Slavery  Law protecting rights –Trial By Jury –Freedom of religion

10. Land Sales Good, Other Problems Bad!  Foreign Problems  Money Problems  Economic Problems  Trade Problems

11. Foreign Problems  England  Failure to meet terms of Treaty of Paris 1783  Spain  Closed Mississippi

12. Money Problems  Debt  Why under the Articles of Confederation could the National Government run into money problems?

13. Economic Depression  Inflation  Slow economic activity  Unemployment up

14. Economic Depression  Crops in the South damaged  Most governmental money went to debt payments  Shortage of Currency

15. Unfair Trade  Britain closed West Indies to colonial trade

16. Tough Times for Farmers  Many states taxed farmers  Farmers unable to pay  Lost farms and went to jail

17. 1786 - Shay’s Rebellion  Capt Daniel Shays  Western Massachusetts  Jefferson on the revolt  “A little rebellion now and then is a good thing.”

18. Weaknesses of the Articles  Ineffective national government  States too powerful –Clashes between the states  Economic Depression

19. Call for Change  Led By: –Alexander Hamilton – Lawyer –James Madison – Planter  Revise the Government!

20. The Annapolis Convention  Lack of ability to regulate commerce

21. Its Time to Meet!  Constitutional Convention – May 1787  Originally to meet on trade issues

22. T-Chart Activity