Thursday, October 22nd

What are the pros and cons of a strong central government? Warm-Up Create a ‘T’ Chart in your notes – ‘Pros’ and ‘Cons’ What are the pros and cons of a strong central government? Notes your thoughts in response to this on your ‘T’ chart Have your ‘Limits of Liberty’ chart out on your desk to be checked

Agenda Warm-Up Articles of Confederation – What were they good for? Goal: You’ll be able to corroborate claims relating to why the nation needed a new national government in the late 1780’s Skill: Corroborating claims using analysis of evidence Focus Question: How did the new nation attempt to resolve the conflicts between ideals of liberty, and a need for a national political order? Warm-Up Articles of Confederation – What were they good for? Was Shays’s Rebellion a turning point? Corroborate claims Federalists v Anti-federalists: debate preview HW: Finish (or review) OpenStax Chapter 7 HW: Debate prep: Arguments and sources HW: Online discussion prompt

Big Picture – From colonies to Constitution Up to 1783 (depending on colony) – Colonial administration 1774-1781 – Continental Congress (1st and 2nd) 1781-1788 – Articles of Confederation government Unicameral Legislature - Congress of the Confederation (aka: ‘Confederation Congress’) President was a facilitator, not an executive Met in different cities in different years “…a firm league of friendship…” September 1788 - present – Constitution of the United States Bicameral Legislature Executive & Judicial branch

Big Challenges Economy in the pits Disputes over frontier lands National Debt States debts No single national currency War disrupted trade with Britain Disputes over frontier lands Conflict with native Americans Disputes between states Squatters & speculators British & Spanish presence

Why were the Articles of Confederation so weak? The ‘Patriots’ had disliked… Taxation without representation Central government that had absolute power Having to follow British legislation Lots of power being in the king’s hands The king being able to change laws at any time So under the AoC… The national government could not tax States didn’t have to follow Congress’s laws and treaties States didn’t have to follow other states’ laws No executive branch or national court system Any amendment required all 13 states’ approval

AoC Drawbacks Because… …This meant… Congress wasn’t able to raise taxes States didn’t have to follow legislation passed by Congress Each state had its own laws No executive branch… No national judiciary Unanimous agreement to make any amendments… Difficult to raise money = Congress couldn’t pay back debts No regulation of foreign trade, & hard to keep peace with Indians, Spanish, and British Couldn’t get states to work together to encourage commerce. …No national figurehead or leadership …States’ laws started to clash …this isn’t going to work, is it?

What were it’s successes? Treaty of Paris 1783 “Placeholder” administration Land Ordinance (1785) Northwest Ordinance (1787)

How did the new nation attempt to resolve the conflicts between ideals of liberty, and a need for a national political order? Textbooks consider Shays’s Rebellion in 1786 as prompting AoC delegates to seek a stronger form of government, but was it that simple? What was Shays’s Rebellion? Historical Question: Did Shays’s Rebellion prove a new national government was necessary? In pairs – Read and study the Shays’s Rebellion sources with a view to answering the historical question Once done - discuss the following questions What is Zinn’s POV? Who do the people of the western frontiers consider to be the enemies of liberty? How is the second source connected to Shays’s Rebellion? What does Jefferson mean about the “tree of liberty?” Do you agree with this assertion?