1. The Articles of Confederation and the Constitutional Convention

2. Essential Questions
1) What were the strengths and weaknesses of the A.O.C.? 2) What debates did the founders have when drafting the Constitution?

3. State Governments
Each colony wrote a new constitution during the Rev War
Similarities:
List of Rights
Separation of Powers
Voting
Office-Holding

4. Articles of Confederation
Need for new gov’t after Independence
Every colony had own constitution
Necessary to create a central gov’t

6. Articles of Confederation cont.
Congress adopted A.O.C. Nov 1777
“League of Friendship” between colonies
Each state got one vote
Congressional Powers included
Make war and peace, send/receive ambassadors, enter into treaties, regulate Indian affairs
Maintain army/navy, appoint military officers
Establish post offices, coin money

7. Strengths
Land Ordinance of 1785: plan for surveying, selling and settling western territory
Each township 36 sections, each section 1 square mile
4 square miles – gov’t, 1 square mile – school
Northwest Ordinance of 1787
Plan for how new states are admitted
Peace Treaty w/ G.B.
“Full Faith and Credit” Policy

8. Weaknesses No … Lack of respect
power to enforce policies
Executive
power to tax
power to regulate commerce
Lack of respect
9 of 13 states had to agree to pass laws
13 had to agree to amend

9. Shay’s Rebellion Farmers went bankrupt after war
Daniel Shays led a rebellion in MA to shut down debtor courts
Rebellion put down by MA militia
Important question came up: what if the state can’t put down a rebellion?

10. Constitutional Convention
Congress called for delegates to meet in Philadelphia 1787
George Washington presided
James Madison took careful notes
Top secret discussions
Heated debates Congress  compromises  creation of the Constitution

11. Who was missing? Thomas Jefferson John Adams John Jay Thomas Paine
Sam Adams
John Hancock
Patrick Henry

12. Representation Based on Population?
Debate 1: How many representatives should each state get in the new national legislature?
Should small states get as much representation in the national legislature as big states?

13. Big States: Virginia Plan Small States: New Jersey Plan
states would get reps based on population.
Small states thought this was unfair because they would be overpowered by the larger states.
Small States:
New Jersey Plan
Every state would get the same number of reps.
Big states did not like this because thought they deserved more votes because they had more people to represent.

14. The Great Compromise (Connecticut Compromise)
Virginia Plan
New Jersey Plan
The Great Compromise (Connecticut Compromise)
Combined both plans.
The Legislative Branch would have 2 houses
- Senate: 2 reps from each state
- House of Representatives: reps based on pop

15. Should Slaves Count in Population?
Debate 2: Should slaves be counted for representation in Congress?

16. Northern States Southern States Low slave populations
Wanted only white populations to count toward representation in Congress
Northerners did not want the southerners to get more votes in Congress
Southern States
High slave populations
Wanted slave populations to count because then southern states would get more votes in Congress

17. Three-Fifths Compromise
Slaves would be counted as 3/5 of one person when calculating a state’s population

18. Tariffs Congress allowed to regulate interstate trade and imports
No taxes on exports (to make Southern states happy)

19. End Slavery?
Northern states wanted to abolish it, Southern states did not.
Founding fathers decided to keep slavery out of the Constitution.
Slave trade guaranteed until 1808.
Left the issue for future generations to decide.

20. Presidency Hold life for office? 4 year terms w/o limit
Method of election: Electoral College not direct pop. vote
Each state gets electors equal to # of senators + house of rep members in congress

21. Ratification
After 17 weeks of debate, convention approved draft to be submitted to states in 1787
Popularly elected state conventions
Need 9/13 states to approve

22. Federalists vs. Anti-Federalists
Feds: supporters of the Constitution
Favored strong national gov’t
Believed separation of powers limited gov’t
Anti-Feds: opponents of the Constitution
Opposed to strong national gov’t = lead to tyranny and abuse of individual/states rights!

23. Federalists Papers 85 essays in support of the Constitution
Published anonymously in a NY newspaper
Eventually collected into a book called The Federalist
James Madison, Alexander Hamilton and John Jay were authors
states ratified

24. The Bill of Rights Anti-Federalists wanted a Bill of Rights
States ratified with the promise of Bill of Rights
In 1791 the first 10 amendments which protected individual and states rights were approved