1. The Articles of confederation
Chapter 4.1

2. States create republics
After the Constitutional Convention in 1776
States create new governments
All wanted to have republics – governments elected by the people
Led to some disagreements as to how much power to give the people
Some wanted democracy
Others distrusted the ability of the common people

3. Preference for democracy
Democratic Patriots wanted to create strong state legislatures with weak governors
Unicameral legislature – single house government with leaders elected by the people
Gave the people greater rights
Other wanted conservative state constitutions with a strong governor

4. Preference for Democracy
Bicameral legislature – two house legislature such as a Senate and House of Reps
Counterbalanced the common voters in the House with the wealthy well-educated in the Senate

5. Voting Fought over voting rights
Democratic patriots wanted e qual political rights for all free men
Conservatives wanted only men who owned property to be allowed to vote
John Adams believed that allowing poor men to vote would “confound and destroy all distinctions and prostrate all ranks to the common level.”

6. Articles of confederation
Original constitution
It was a loose union of states that agreed to work together
It was drafted under the leadership of John Dickenson
It did not allow for a strong centralized government
Reflected the principles of the Declaration of Independence
Rejected centralized power of the British Empire

7. Federal government
Each state could send as many as 7 delegates to represent their state in Congress
Each state had a single vote
Given powers to make, implement, and enforce laws
Did not have an executive branch

8. The congress
Had the power to:
Declare war
Raise armies
Sign treaties
Did not have the power to:
Impose taxes
Regulate trade

9. Lack of power Weakened Congress Depended upon state funding
Led to Congress selling land west of the Appalachian Mountains

10. Northwest territory
Congress wanted to settle and govern the land they had authority over
This was known as the Northwest Territory
Sold this land to speculators and farmers

12. Land ordinance of 1785
Passed to make it easier to sell and regulate land to settlers
Land arranged into townships
Each township divided into 36 sections
Each section was 640 acres and sold for $1 an acre
Most farmers could not afford this so they had to buy from land speculators
Wealthy land speculators would buy up large quantities of land for a cheaper price

14. Northwest ordinance of 1787
Created the Northwest Territory – area north of the Ohio River and east of the Mississippi
Divided into territories
When population reached 60,000 in a territory, they could apply to become a state
Also banned slavery and protected civil liberties in the new territories

15. American Indians Lost their lands due to Congress’s decisions
Expected to relocate
Congress could not maintain a large enough army to protect settlers

16. Problems with Spain America wants land owned by Spanish
They fight over borders
Spain closes the Mississippi – so farmers can’t ship their goods down the river
Keeps settlers from going west of the river

17. Problems with Britain
Before war, many Americans had borrowed money from British lenders
Treaty of Paris – America agreed to let the British recover their debts
American courts sided with Americans
Many states would not allow Loyalists to have their property back

18. British retaliate
British refuse to abandon frontier posts on American soil
Congress had no money to raise an army to get rid of them and they had no power to raise money through taxes – uh oh

19. Problems with trade
After the war, British merchants flooded U.S. with inexpensive British goods
American artisans driven out of business
Many states restricted British imports
Did not impose the same duties on foreign goods
British went to the states that had the lowest taxes

20. Problems with trade
Congress had no power to regulate commerce so they could not stop British form exploiting trade laws

21. Economic crisis
Country went through a severe recession – economic slowdown
Farm prices fell and farmers in debt
States had borrowed money for the war and the wealthy merchants and planters wanted to be paid back in gold or silver

22. inflation
Farmers and other debtors wanted states to print paper money so they could pay off their debts
Paper money worthless if not backed by gold or silver
Inflation begins – the value of money lost value

23. Paper money 7 states issued paper money
Rhode Island – paper money became so worthless that merchants would not take it
People rioted
The state forced merchants to take the money or be arrested and fined
This showed that the people could force the government to steal from the wealthy

25. Shay’s rebellion
Triggered when the government of Massachusetts raised taxes instead of issuing paper money
Taxes affected poor farmers the most
August 1786 Daniel Shays, veteran of the Revolutionary War, led a mob of angry farmers to block farm foreclosures
January 1787 Shay and 1200 farmers decided to try to seize weapons from the Springfield Armory to shut down the courts

27. Shay’s rebellion
The state militia, led by General Benjamin Lincoln, suppressed the rebellion the next day

28. AOC Parody
Shays Rebellion

29. aftermath
People begin to argue for a strong, centralized government

30. Works cited
hughesDV. “Shays' Rebellion Explained.” YouTube, YouTube, 25 Sept. 2013
MrBettsClass. “Articles of Confederation (Kelis's "Milkshake" Parody) –
@MrBettsClass.” YouTube, YouTube, 12 Oct
Werner-Lepsansky, Emma J., et al. United States History. Pearson Education
Inc: United States, Print.