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LAUNCHING A NEW REPUBLIC
We the people of the United States, in order to
form a more perfect Union, establish justice,
insure domestic tranquility, provide for the
common defense, promote the general welfare,
and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves
and our posterity do ordain and establish this
Constitution for the United States of America.
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Timeline of Important Events
1777
Continental
Congress passed
the Articles of
Confederation
1781
Articles of
Confederation do
into effect.
British surrenders
at Yorktown.
1783
Treaty of Paris
formally ends the
Revolutionary
War 1783.
Timeline of Important Events
1786 – 1787
Daniel Shays
leads a rebellion
of Massachusetts
farmers.
1788
United States
Constitution
ratified.
1789
George
Washington
becomes 1st
President.
1791
Bill of Rights
added to the
Constitution.
Treaty of Paris
• The Treaty of Paris marked the end of the
Revolutionary War.
• It was signed in Paris, France in 1783.
• The Treaty was signed by John Adams,
Benjamin Franklin, and John Jay from America
and David Hartley, a member of the English
Parliament.
Treaty of Paris
Terms of the Treaty of Paris that marked the end of the
Revolutionary War.
Terms favorable to America
Terms Favorable to Britain
Gained Independence
Individual states were required to return
Loyalists’ property.
Boundaries extended from the Mississippi
River, Canada, and Spanish Florida.
What issues did America have to deal with as a
new nation?
PROBLEMS
SOLUTIONS
Western lands
States give up western claims – Northwest
Ordinance
Postwar Depression – Shay’s Rebellion
Issues about trade
Representation in the new government
Two plans introduced – Virginia Plan and
New Jersey Plan
Slavery
3/5 Compromise
Articles of Confederation
• “United we stand, divided we fall.” – Silas Deane
• Representatives agreed they wanted a
Republic.
• Disagreed about how many votes each state
would have and who would rule the land west
of the Appalachian Mountains.
Article of Confederation
Weaknesses of the Articles of
Confederation
• Lacked power to enforce laws.
• Lacked power to levy taxed.
• Lacked power to regulate trade among the
states.
• Required all 13 states to approve changes in
the Articles.
• Allowed Congress to issue currency, but the
states were still allowed to print their own
money.
Shays’ Rebellion
• Under the Articles of Confederation, the new
nation had serious money issues.
• Money Congress had printed during the war was
worthless.
• Farmers couldn’t pay their debts and were forced
to sell their land and livestock to pay taxes.
• In 1786, a Massachusetts farmer, Daniel Shay,
also a war hero from the Revolutionary War lead
a rebellion to protest.
Shays’ Rebellion Continued
• In 1786, Shays and his followers closed down
courthouse to keep judges from taking their
farms.
• The Massachusetts government ended Shays’
Rebellion in 1787 by sending militia troop.
• Private donations from wealthy people had
helped the sate militia put down the revolt.
Call for Convention
• Shay’s Rebellion shocked Congress.
• People worried that the nation they had
fought so hard to create was falling apart.
• Each state was invited to send delegates to
Philadelphia in May 1787 to revise the Articles
of Confederation.
Western Land Claims
• The issue over the western lands was solved
under the Articles.
• The large states holding vast amounts of western
land ceded the land to the government under the
Articles so that all the states could share in the
wealth of those lands.
• The Northwest Ordinances were passed that
provided for the creation of equal, self governing
states in the Northwest Territories and the newly
created states would have the same rights and
privileges as the original 13 states.
The Land Ordinance of 1785
• Set up a system for surveying and dividing
land in the new territory.
• After surveyed, the land was to be divided in
36-square-mile townships.
• Each township would be divided into 36
numbered sections of 1 square mile each.
• Each section would be divided for sale to
settlers and land dealers.
• Section 16 was always set aside for schools.
Northwest Ordinance
• In 1787 Congress passed the Northwest
Ordinance that divided the Northwest Territory
into smaller, self-governing territories.
• When the population reached 60,000, a territory
could apply to become a state.
• Included a list of rights that gave a settlers the
same privileges as other citizens.
• Forbade slavery.
• Most important law passed during the period of
confederation.
The Virginia Plan
• Meant to replace – not revise – the Articles of
Confederation.
• Called for a national government with three
branches.
• Proposed a bicameral legislature based on
population.
• Gave the more populous states more
influence.
The New Jersey Plan
• Called for a less powerful federal government.
• There would be one house of Congress with
each state having equal representation –
regardless of size.
State Representation In Government
The Great Compromise!
1. Legislature will have two houses – Senate
and House of Representatives.
2. Senate would give equal vote for each colony.
3. House of Representatives would have
representation according to state population.
Slavery
• Some northern states wanted to abolish slavery.
• Southern states opposed ending a system of
labor on which their agricultural economy
depended.
• Southerners wanted slaves to be counted when
determining representation.
• Northerners wanted slaves to be counted for
taxation but not representation.
• Compromise – every fifth slave would be counted
as equal to three whites. The Three-Fifths
Compromise settled the dispute.
Commerce Issues
• Northerners favored giving Congress broad
powers to control trade.
• Southerners worried that Congress would outlaw
the slave trade and place heavy taxes on
southern exports such as tobacco and cotton.
• Compromise – Congress would have power to
regulate foreign and interstate commerce, but it
could not tax exports and it could not outlaw the
slave trade until 1808.
Ratifying the Constitution
Federalists
Anti-Federalist
•Supported removing some powers from
the states and giving more power to the
national government.
•Favored dividing powers among different
branches of government.
•Proposed a single person to lead the
Executive Branch.
•Wanted important political powers to
remain with the states.
•Wanted the Legislative Branch to have
more power than the Executive Branch.
•Feared that a strong executive might
become a king or tyrant.
•Believed a Bill of Rights needed to be
added to the Constitution to protect
people’s rights.
Moving On!!!
• Delaware, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania
ratified in December 1787.
• In January, Georgia and Connecticut;
Massachusetts joined in February.
• By June, nine states had ratified, but New York
and Virginia hadn’t voted.
• Rhode Island was the last state to ratify the
Constitution.