1. Thursday, October 22nd

2. What are the pros and cons of a strong central government?
Warm-Up
Create a ‘T’ Chart in your notes – ‘Pros’ and ‘Cons’
What are the pros and cons of a strong central government?
Notes your thoughts in response to this on your ‘T’ chart
Have your ‘Limits of Liberty’ chart out on your desk to be checked

3. Agenda Warm-Up Articles of Confederation – What were they good for?
Goal: You’ll be able to corroborate claims relating to why the nation needed a new national government in the late 1780’s
Skill: Corroborating claims using analysis of evidence
Focus Question: How did the new nation attempt to resolve the conflicts between ideals of liberty, and a need for a national political order?
Warm-Up
Articles of Confederation – What were they good for?
Was Shays’s Rebellion a turning point?
Corroborate claims
Federalists v Anti-federalists: debate preview
HW: Finish (or review) OpenStax Chapter 7
HW: Debate prep: Arguments and sources
HW: Online discussion prompt

4. Big Picture – From colonies to Constitution
Up to 1783 (depending on colony) – Colonial administration
– Continental Congress (1st and 2nd)
– Articles of Confederation government
Unicameral Legislature - Congress of the Confederation (aka: ‘Confederation Congress’)
President was a facilitator, not an executive
Met in different cities in different years
“…a firm league of friendship…”
September present – Constitution of the United States
Bicameral Legislature
Executive & Judicial branch

5. Big Challenges Economy in the pits Disputes over frontier lands
National Debt
States debts
No single national currency
War disrupted trade with Britain
Disputes over frontier lands
Conflict with native Americans
Disputes between states
Squatters & speculators
British & Spanish presence

6. Why were the Articles of Confederation so weak?
The ‘Patriots’ had disliked…
Taxation without representation
Central government that had absolute power
Having to follow British legislation
Lots of power being in the king’s hands
The king being able to change laws at any time
So under the AoC…
The national government could not tax
States didn’t have to follow Congress’s laws and treaties
States didn’t have to follow other states’ laws
No executive branch or national court system
Any amendment required all 13 states’ approval

7. AoC Drawbacks Because… …This meant…
Congress wasn’t able to raise taxes
States didn’t have to follow legislation passed by Congress
Each state had its own laws
No executive branch…
No national judiciary
Unanimous agreement to make any amendments…
Difficult to raise money = Congress couldn’t pay back debts
No regulation of foreign trade, & hard to keep peace with Indians, Spanish, and British
Couldn’t get states to work together to encourage commerce.
…No national figurehead or leadership
…States’ laws started to clash
…this isn’t going to work, is it?

8. What were it’s successes?
Treaty of Paris 1783
“Placeholder” administration
Land Ordinance (1785)
Northwest Ordinance (1787)

9. How did the new nation attempt to resolve the conflicts between ideals of liberty, and a need for a national political order?
Textbooks consider Shays’s Rebellion in as prompting AoC delegates to seek a stronger form of government, but was it that simple?
What was Shays’s Rebellion?
Historical Question: Did Shays’s Rebellion prove a new national government was necessary?
In pairs – Read and study the Shays’s Rebellion sources with a view to answering the historical question
Once done - discuss the following questions
What is Zinn’s POV?
Who do the people of the western frontiers consider to be the enemies of liberty?
How is the second source connected to Shays’s Rebellion?
What does Jefferson mean about the “tree of liberty?” Do you agree with this assertion?