Chapter 7 & 8 More Perfect Union The Federalist Era

Articles of Confederation  May 1776, Congress asked state to organize their gov’ts and adopt a state constitution  Many states established bicameral legislatures  Wanted to limit state powers  Keep power in hands of people

Articles of Confederation  Americans agreed country should be a republic  Could not agree on organization and powers  Favored a weak central government

Articles of Confederation  Articles of Confederation adopted in Nov  2 nd Continental Congress  1 st Constitution – new central gov’t  A firm league of friendship

Articles of Confederation  Congress had authority:  Conduct foreign affairs  Maintain armed forces  Borrow money  Issue currency  Congress could not  Regulate trade  Force citizens to join army  Impose taxes  No chief executive

Trouble  Articles did not provide a gov’t strong enough to handle the problems facing the United States  Especially money, imported taxes, slavery

Trouble  Demand for change  The Constitutional Convention  May 1787  Sessions not open to public  Every state had one vote on questions  George Washington led meeting

Constitutional Convention  Convention  Virginia Plan – strong central gov’t  Plan called for a two-house legislature, a chief executive chosen by the legislature, and a court system  New Jersey Plan  One-house legislature, with one vote for each state. Congress – could set taxes and regulate trade

Constitutional Convention  Great Compromise  Compromise between two proposed plans  2-house legislature, House of Representatives and Senate  Three-Fifths Compromise  Every five enslaved persons would equal three free persons  Sept 17, 1787 – Constitution approved

Constitution  Constitution created a federal system  Sharing power between federal and state governments  Supreme Law of the Land  3 branches  Legislature branch – law making  Executive branch – carry out laws  Judicial branch – court system

Constitution  Checks and Balances  Each branch has ways to limit the power of the others so no single branch and dominate the government  May 1790 – Constitution was finally ratified by all states

President  April 30, 1789 – George Washington took the oath of office as the 1 st President of the U.S.  Dec – Bill of Rights added to Constitution  Limited powers of gov’t to protect peoples rights  Federal court system, economy (debt), banks, tariffs, and taxes  New capital created in Washington, D.C.

Politics  mid-1790s – two distinct political parties formed  Federalists – favored strong federal gov’t  Democratic-Republicans – favored limited gov’t power  Some differences between Federalists and Republicans was 1) the basis of gov’t power and 2) about the role of ordinary people in gov’t

Politics  Federalists supported representative gov’t  Did not believe it was wise to let public become too involved in politics  Republicans feared a strong central gov’t  Believed that democracy and liberty would be safe only if ordinary people participated fully in gov’t

Elections  Election of 1796  1 st time two candidates sought office from rival political parties  Held caucuses – meeting to chose their parties candidates  Federalists chose John Adams  Republicans chose Thomas Jefferson  Adams – 71 electoral votes  Jefferson – 68 electoral votes

Presidency  Adams would inherent the dispute with France  Adams sent delegates to Paris to resolve issues but the prime minister refused to see them and sent three agents out who demand a loan and bribe from the Americans  Became known as the XYZ Affair