8.1 Articles of Confederation OBJECTIVE: to understand why the Articles proved too weak to handle the new nation’s problems HW 8.2

1. Committees of Correspondence 2. Olive Branch Petition A= HAPPENED FIRST B= HAPPENED SECOND 3. Publication of Common Sense 4. Declaration of Independence A= HAPPENED FIRST B= HAPPENED SECOND 5. Townshend Act 6. Sugar Act A= DIRECT TAX B= INDIRECT TAX

REPUBLICANISM Americans after the revolution believed: Power arises from the consent of the governed = the people DID NOT WANT a direct democracy. (WHY?) THEREFORE, a Republic was the best form of government. PROS?CONS?

Can you think of an example of a direct democracy? How would the Presidency of the US be different today if we were a direct democracy? How would making Loyola a direct democracy change our student government?

HOW TO RULE? Republic, YES. Supreme power? NO!!! SOLUTION  a confederation How is a confederation different from a federal government ( what we have today)?

What were the biggest problems facing the new government? In light of this, what were the greatest weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation?

CONFEDERATION VS. FEDERALISM

THE WESTERN LANDS PROBLEM The most powerful states (VA, NY, MA) claim lands in Ohio and beyond old line of demarcation MD refuses to sign Articles. WHY? SOLUTION: Lands become property of the UNITED states LAWS: Land Ordinance of 1785 = rules for surveying the new lands Northwest Ordinance of 1787 = rules for dividing the land into states and admitting them to the union.

Map: The United States in 1787 The United States in 1787 This map shows the extent of American westward settlement in 1787 and the limits placed on that settlement by French and Spanish claims west of the Mississippi and in Florida. Plans for the creation of three to five states in the Northwest territory were approved by Congress in 1787, ensuring that the settlers in this region would enjoy the same political rights as the citizens of the original thirteen states. Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

Map: Western Land Claims and Cessions, Western Land Claims and Cessions, After the United States achieved independence, states competed with each other for control of valuable lands to which they had possible claims under their original charters. That competition led to a series of compromises among the states or between individual states and the new nation, which are indicated on this map. Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

Map: The Northwest Territory, The Northwest Territory, The Ordinance of 1785 provided for surveying land into townships of thirty-six sections, each supporting four families on 160-acre plots (approximately twenty-five people per square mile). In 1787 the Northwest Ordinance stipulated that states would ultimately be created in the region. Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

Articles of Confederation The Limits of Limited Government: 1.No common currency or banking laws 2.Unable to settle disputes over commerce between states 3.Unable to have stable govt. funding or to collect taxes 4.Unanimity necessary to amend (Rhode Island creates problems!!!) 5.Unable to deal with foreign powers, i.e. N. African Pirates 6.Weak army and navy 7.Unable to respond to Shay’s rebellion

Free ain’t Easy Problems in the Confederation Political and Economic 1.States are unbalanced politically in regards to population 2.War debt 3.Continental Currency is worthless 4.No trade regulations, taxes, or tariffs Borrowers vs. Lenders 1.Bankruptcies increasing 2.High taxes 3.Cheap currency lowers debt, hurts banks Foreign Relations 1.Spain menaces borders 2.France demands repayment 3.Navigation Acts still a problem 4.N. African Piracy a growing problem

What is the connection between the Wilderness Road and Shay’s Rebellion? Wilderness Road

General Daniel Shays, Colonel Job Shattuck, artist unknown An anti-Shays cartoonist depicts Shays and a key supporter as bogus military officers who sought power and threatened the people's liberty. (National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution/Art Resource, New York) General Daniel Shays, Colonel Job Shattuck, artist unknown Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

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