Social Studies Ch.3 Lesson 1 By: Grace O’Doherty

Government by the States while the Continental Congress was busy creating something for the nation as a whole the individual states began creating their own governments they backed up their governments with constitutions constitution: a document stating the rules of which a government will operate

Writing the Constitutions the colonists didn’t like how the governor was chosen by the king, therefore, they gave more power to the legislature which was elected by the people the governor served as the states executive the executive was the person who ran government and made sure all laws were carried out the governor also choose key state officials, however, the legislature usually had to approve those appointments more people were also allowed to vote for ex: women in New Jersey had the opportunity to vote

Protecting Rights Virginia was the first state to include a Bill of Rights in their constitution many other states then took Virginia’s lead for ex: Massachusetts included some of the same rights in their Bill of Rights

The Articles of Confederation The Articles of Confederation was what the Continental Congress produced for the whole nation

Form of Government under the articles there was a one house legislature-congress this means that there was no system of national courts along with no executive branch under congress all states were equal and they all had one vote

Limited Government The Articles of Confederation supported a limited self Gov. they did this because they didn’t want to be responsible for creating a new tyrant after having just got rid of one most of the power under the articles went to the individual states congress could declare war, make laws, deal with foreign nations, handle native americans outside of the thirteen colonies, and etc. however, congress could not enforce the laws they made-the states had to

Settling the Western Lands all of the thirteen states had to approve the Articles of Confederation, however, some would not commit until other states dropped their claims in land that was west of the Appalachian Mountains

Land Ordinance of 1785 Under the and land ordinance surveyors had to divide public and up into townships this was set up as a grid of squares the nation also had a belief saying that a democracy depends on education so in each township a certain amount of land was set aside to help support schools

Northwest Ordinance of 1787 the northwest territory was land north of the Ohio River the land ordinance:banned slavery, guaranteed basic rights to settlers settling in that area, and set up a three step plan to setting new states 1-once territory was starting to be settled in congress would get a governor, three judges, and a secretary 2-once there were 5,000 free men in the territory they could elect a legislature 3-once there were 60,000 settlers, the territory could become a state

Growing Problems at first, the articles had much success, but then they seemed to start having some growing problems people felt the articles didn’t give off enough power to solve problems each state printed its own money and they each had their own trading system which discouraged trade British occupied forts in the Northwest Territory regardless of the treaty Spanish wouldn’t let American Ship’s products down the Mississippi River which forced Western farmers to send their goods along the Appalachian Mountains which cost much more

Shay’s Rebellion economic depression:period when business activity slows, prices and wages drop, and unemployment rises the depression hit Massachusetts farmers especially hard many farmers were unable to pay their tax the state then began to seize and sell farms the angry farmers wanted legislature to stop farm sale and begin to print more paper money (make it easier to get loans) legislature took no action Daniel Shays(former revolutionary war captain) led an uprising of 1,000 Massachusetts farmers Shay’s men tried to seize arms from a state warehouse but they were caught and arrested although Shay’s rebellion blew over it scarred many Americans the people felt a stronger cent. Gov. would be able to protect against a popular unrest

In Response... congress then asked delegates to go to a convention in Philadelphia their task was to revise the Articles of Confederation

The End!