1. Bell Ringer: Complete “What If” Activity On a piece of paper write “What if the United State never declared their independence from Great Britain Come up with four things that could have happened/that would be different today.
On a

2. Chapter 3: The Constitution
Even before the Declaration of Independence was signed, American colonists thought about independence
Independence would mean a new plan for government
In January 1776 New Hampshire became the first colony to organize as a state

3. Leaders wrote a constitution and within a few years all the former colonies had their own state constitutions as well

4. State Governments Legislature to make laws
Most legislatures were bicameral which means they were divided into two houses
Governor: was officially elected by legislature or the citizens. They carried out the laws
Judges in the courts to decided on what the laws meant and how to apply them
Were based on ideas stated in the Declaration of Independence
Most contained a bill or list of rights that guaranteed basic freedoms and legal protection

5. The Articles of Confederation
Each state was ready to govern itself when independence was declared
However hey realized that 13 small independent forces could not fight the British army
Because of this and other reasons, the Second Continental Congress planned for a confederation of states

6. In 1777 Congress wrote out a plan for the government know as the Articles of Confederation

7. Articles of Confederation
First constitution of the United States
Set up a league of friendship among the independent states
By 1781 all 13 states ratified the Articles
Created a one house legislature where each state had 1 vote
Legislature was Confederation Congress

8. The Confederation Congress passed two laws that had a major effect on the history of the United States

9. Ordinance of 1785: a law that set up a plan for surveying western lands
What did it do: it divided up land west into townships. We still use this method today to survey land

10. Northwest Ordinance 1787: law that set up a government for the Northwest Territory and a plan for admitting new states to the Union
What did it do? Officials used this ordinance as a model to organize governments for other new territories. Provided a plan for admitting new states into the union.

11. The Ordinance of 1785 and the Northwest Ordinance helped people settle the Northwest Territory
By 1790s there were about 120,000 people who lived there

12. Weakness of the Articles of Confederation
Lack of power and money
Congress had no power to collect taxes
Congress had no power to regulate trade
Had no power to enforce the law
Lack of central power
No single leader or group directed government policy
No national court system
Rules were too rigid
Congress could not pass laws without the approval of 9 states
The Articles could not be changed without the agreement of all 13 states

13. The power of the Confederation Congress was strictly limited
Why? The colonists disliked the strong British rules and didn't’t want the new state to get a lot of power

14. Shay’s Rebellion
The United States finally became an independent country when the Treaty of Paris was signed in 1783
Independence did not put an end to the country’s struggle
They Articles were too weak to deal with many of the problems facing the country

15. Struggles in the New Country
They faced financial trouble-they could not collect taxes. The Confederation Congress borrowed money to pay for the war but could not pay it back
State governments fell into debt and taxed their citizens as well as imported goods the people suffered and the Congress had no power to fix the problem
Trade was slow and people lost jobs
Farmers went into debt

16. Shay’s Rebellion:
Was an uprising of Massachusetts farmers who did not want to lose their farms because of debt caused by heavy state taxes after the American Revolution
Daniel Shay owe money because of state taxes and the state threatened to take his farm away. Shey felt the states had no right to punish him for the problems they created so they protested