Download Colonial Conflict

 United States gains Independence
 British troops to leave US soil
 United States gains land to the Mississippi River
North
America was
shared with
France and
Spain
• The Articles of Confederation was the name of the
first government of the United States.
• It had been started back in 1776 in the Continental
Congress, and finally approved by all the states in
1781.
Accomplishments:
1. American Revolution
2. Treaty of Paris
3. Ordinance of 1785
4. NW Ordinance of 1787
GOVERNMENT
 Congress – Each State had one Vote.
Powers of Congress
1. Make Laws
2. Declare War & Make Peace
3. Make Treaties & Alliances
4. Borrow Money
5. Maintain Army & Navy
6. Other Less Important Matters
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
Congress weak – Limited Powers (most needed 9 of 13
states to agree)
No Executive Branch – Enforce Laws
No Judicial Branch – Settle State Disputes
No Power to Tax
No Money = No Military
No Amendments – Needed Approval of all 13 States
Thirteen Tax and Trade Systems
• Since the national government could not tax, and
the national money was worthless, debt became a
huge problem.
• Debt = owing money
• The biggest problem was that the soldiers who had
fought the war, had not been paid, and they were
mad.
 British troops have not left US soil quite yet.
 French/Spanish will not allow use of Mississippi River.
 Debts contracted during the Revolutionary War have not
been paid.
 Shay’s Rebellion.
 Economy is in very poor health.
• Americans were afraid of a strong national government. After
all, they had fought a war over it. So, the government they
decided on was weak.
• The national government under the Articles did not have the
power to tax or enforce laws. Those powers were left up to the
states.
• The national government did have the power to wage war, but
since they couldn’t tax, there was no way to pay for it.
• The government could also issue money, but the states didn’t
have to use it. They had their own.
• One of the things the new government was allowed to
do was divide any new lands the United States
acquired. (Or you could say taken. Most of the lands
belonged to the Indians, but that didn’t stop anyone
from taking them.
• Under the Northwest Ordinance, when 60,000 people
lived in a territory, they could apply to become a state.
• Slavery was also outlawed, but runaway slaves were
to be returned to their lawful “owners.”
• Freedom of religion and trial by jury were guaranteed.
• The American Revolution ended in 1783
• The money paid to the soldiers who had fought in
the Revolution was worthless.
• This was because the government was not allowed
to raise taxes in the Articles of Confederation.
• As a result, the farmers were unable to pay their
debts.
• The farmers were taken into court, then into jail, and their
land was taken away from them.
• Most of the farmers were soldiers who had fought in the
Revolution and they were mad.
• In 1786, an armed revolt by farmers against the state
government took place.
• Led by Daniel Shays, the farmers began to forcibly prevent
the courts from meeting so they couldn’t take anyone else’s
land away or put them in jail.
• Early in 1787, the Governor sent 4,400 men against the
rebels and the rebels were defeated.
• Shays and the other rebels were pardoned. (An official act
of forgiveness)
• Shays’ Rebellion showed the leaders of America that
the Articles of Confederation were too weak, and a
stronger national government was needed.