Building a New Nation and State 1777-1830 Chapter 8 Building a New Nation and State 1777-1830

SS8H4 The student will describe the impact of events that led to the ratification of the United States Constitution and the Bill of Rights. a. Analyze the strengths and weaknesses of both the Georgia Constitution of 1777 and the Articles of Confederation and explain how weaknesses in the Articles of Confederation led to a need to revise the Articles. b. Describe the role of Georgia at the Constitutional Convention of 1787; include the role of Abraham Baldwin and William Few, and reasons why Georgia ratified the new constitution.

SS8H5 The student will explain significant factors that affected the development of Georgia as part of the growth of the United States between 1789 and 1840. a. Explain the establishment of the University of Georgia, Louisville, and the spread of Baptist and Methodist churches. b. Evaluate the impact of land policies pursued by Georgia; include the headright system, land lotteries, and the Yazoo land fraud. c. Explain how technological developments, including the cotton gin and railroads, had an impact on Georgia's growth. d. Analyze the events that led to the removal of Creeks and Cherokees; include the roles of Alexander McGillivray, William McIntosh, Sequoyah, John Ross, Dahlonega Gold Rush, Worcester v. Georgia, Andrew Jackson, John Marshall, and the Trail of Tears.

The Articles of Confederation America’s first Constitution It was written at the same time as the Declaration of Independence. Button Gwinnett from Georgia was part of the committee that wrote the document. Congress would be the national body of government with each state having one vote. Congress could declare war, sign treaties, deliver the mail and, create money.

Weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation. Congress could not impose taxes. This would be left to the individual states. The government was left with massive debt from the war with Great Britain (England). It (Congress) could not control trade or enforce laws so it could not resolve disputes between states. Many wanted it revised as a result of these weaknesses.

Taxes in the New Nation The new country was left with $42 million dollars in war debt. Many soldiers had not been paid and were given land in the Northwest Territory instead of payment. Many individual states were in the same position and taxes were high in most states. Many could not pay these taxes and were in danger of losing their land and homes.

Shay’s Rebellion Daniel Shay was a farmer that had served in the Continental Army. He was about to lose his farm because he could not pay the state taxes. He led a group of angry farmers to steal weapons from the government and the Governor sent troops to stop them. The rebellion ended quickly but emphasized the weaknesses of the government to collect taxes and protect the citizens. As a result Congress called a meeting to address these issues.

The Constitutional Convention of 1787 William Few and Abraham Baldwin attend from Georgia. The writers had a difficult job. They had to create a government that was strong enough to protect people’s rights, but not have too much power. The Great Compromise: Senate: same number of votes; House of Representatives: based on population. 3/5s Compromise: Determined that slaves would count as 3 people for very 5 slaves.

More Compromises Slave Trade Compromise: the buying and selling of slaves would not be outlawed until 1808. The Commerce Clause: It gave the national government the power to collect taxes and regulate trade between states. Division of Powers: see checks and balances The Electoral College: the system for electing the President.

Presidents Not Elected by Popular Vote These presidents were elected by the Electoral College and not popular vote: John Quincy Adams who lost by 44,804 votes to Andrew Jackson in 1824 Rutherford B. Hayes who lost by 264,292 votes to Samuel J. Tilden in 1876 Benjamin Harrison who lost by 95,713 votes to Grover Cleveland in 1888 George W. Bush who lost by 543,816 votes to Al Gore in the 2000 election.

You Could Win With 11 States California - 55 Texas - 34 New York - 31 Florida - 27 Illinois - 21 Pennsylvania - 21 Ohio - 20 Michigan - 17 Georgia - 15 New Jersey - 15 North Carolina - 15 Total: 271 electoral votes (1/2 of 538 is 269) you need 270 to have a clear victory.

Checks and Balances Branches of the National Government Executive The President of the United States To enforce the laws that are passed by Congress. The President has veto power. Judicial Judges in Federal Courts The Supreme Court Their job is to interpret the laws. There are 9 Supreme Court Justices. They have their job for life. Legislative Bicameral House of Representatives and The Senate Their job is to pass the laws for the United States and send them to the President for signature. They can overturn a veto.

The Bill of Rights The first ten amendments to the Constitution. Guarantees basic rights such as freedom of religion, freedom of the press, and freedom of speech. It also includes freedom to assemble and the right to keep and bear arms. It protected the “state’s rights”. This will play a crucial role in the future of our country.

Georgia's State Constitution Original government was unicameral ( one house) and was led by Archibald Bulloch. The legislature elected the Governor and other state officials. In 1789, Georgia adopted the bicameral (two houses) government with three branches of government that was similar to the United states Federal government.

State Constitution Called for local governments that would be set up as counties with a county seat that could not be more than a days trip by horse and buggy. These county governments would be responsible for keeping records and establishing a system of law. A new amendment changed the way the governor was elected. Both houses of the legislature would elect the governor. Established Louisville (in present-day Jefferson County) as the capital.

Louisville, GA Jefferson County

The Headright System This system for dispersing new lands acquired at the end of the Revolutionary War. Every head of household (usually a white male) had the right to land. These heads of household would declare his honesty and integrity and pay a small filing fee. This made them eligible for free land: 200 acres plus another 50 acres for each family member and slave, up to 1000 acres.

Yazoo Land Fraud This involved the land in the western part of Georgia. (what is now Alabama and Mississippi) The Yazoo Act allowed private companies to buy large tracts of land. The land was bought up by dishonest men and sold at much higher prices to the settlers. Georgians were angered and voted out the dishonest politicians in the next election.

The Compact of 1802 This was the reversal of the Yazoo Land Act. Georgia gave up ALL lands involved in the Yazoo Land Fraud and Georgia's boundaries were set pretty close to what they are today. In return the federal government gave Georgia over a million dollars and promised to remove all Native Americans from Georgia as soon as possible.

The Land Lottery This was used to distribute land acquired from the Native Americans. The plots of land ranged from 202.5 to 490 acres. Applicants to the lottery could be white males over 18, orphans, or widows. Applicants paid a small fee to be entered into the lottery. The names were placed in a barrel and the drawings were held in Milledgeville. “Drawing a blank.”

Georgia and Native Americans Georgia is now growing and prospering at a tremendous rate. How does this affect the Native Americans in Georgia? How will it affect Georgia settlers and how will Georgia deal with these issues?