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Chapter 7, Section 1 Governing A New Nation Section Focus Question: What were the major successes and failures of the government under the Articles of Confederation? -Learn about the new state constitutions. -Learn about the Articles of Confederation -Find out about laws for settling new lands in the west. -Understand the problems of the Articles of Confederation. Government by the States Writing State Constitutions -Many of the former colonies wrote new state constitutions. -The states minimized the power of state governors because colonial governors had abused their power. -Most power was given to the state legislature, the lawmaking body elected by the people. Government by the States (cont) -The new state constitutions allowed more people to vote. -Most states, white men 21 years or older could vote if they owned property. -Women and African Americans could not vote. -Virginia was the first state to have a bill of rights, which is a list of essential freedoms that the government is required to respect. Protecting Rights -The Declaration of Independence listed ways that Britain had violated the rights of individuals. Virginia Bill of Rights -Freedom of Religion -Freedom of the Press -Trail by Jury -Limits on Searches -Limits on Arrests -No Cruel and Unusual Punishment -To prevent such abuses, states sought to protect individual rights. -Virginia was the first state to include a bill of rights in its constitution. -Many other states followed Virginia’s lead. -New York and Massachusetts included Freed of Religion in their Bill of Rights. Why did many state constitutions limit the power of state governors? Because of bad experiences in the past under colonial governors. The Articles of Confederation Form of Government The Continental Congress created the Articles of Confederation in 1777. It was the first central government of the United States. -Instead of have three branches of government like those of most states, the government under the Articles had just one branch or unicameral legislature with delegates, or representatives, from each state. -Within Congress, all states would be equal and each had a single vote. -For important matters, nine sates had to agree before a law could go into effect. The Articles of Confederation Limited Government -The new states did not want to risk giving too much power to a central government far from the people. So the Articles provided for a limited central government - The main power of Congress involved foreign affairs. - All 13 states had to agree on all amendments. - 9 of the 13 states had to agree on all federal laws. * Under the Articles of Confederation, the states had more power than the federal government. Examples: taxation and law enforcement * The Articles of Confederation had a weak federal government on purpose because they were afraid of their experiences with the British monarchy and Parliament. Why did the Articles of Confederation fail? I. Currency Issues • The United States did not have a common currency. • Americans carried money from the federal government, state government, and foreign nations. • Merchants stopped accepting money from outside of their own state, causing a lot of money to become worthless. • This caused an increase in inflation. Why did the Articles of Confederation fail? II. Debt • Congress could not tax the people and depended on money from the states. • Therefore, the U.S. was unable to pay its debts! Examples: - The U.S. owed money to France, Holland, and Spain for loans made during the Revolutionary War. - The U.S. had not paid many of their own soldiers! Why did the Articles of Confederation fail? III. International and Domestic Problems • The U.S. lacked the military power to defend itself against Great Britain and Spain. • States acted as individual countries and seldom agreed. Example: - Connecticut and Virginia almost went to war over land claims! Why did the Articles of Confederation fail? Courts (Judicial Branch) • The nation lacked a national court system. Supreme Court Why did the Articles of Confederation fail? President (Executive Branch) • The nation did not have a President, or Chief Executive. White House Why did the Articles of Confederation fail? Congress (Legislative Branch) • Congress had one house. (unicameral) • Laws were difficult to pass, needing the approval of nine states. • Congress was responsible to the states, not the people. • Congress had no power to collect taxes, regulate trade, coin money, or establish a Capitol Capitol Building military. Building How did the Articles of Confederation ensure the power of the states? Congress could not regulate trade, could not tax, and had no way to enforce any laws it make. Only the states could exercise these powers. Settling the Western Lands Settling the Western Lands One of the national government’s most important tasks was to create a way to sell national lands to the public. The Land Ordinance of 1785 was the system it created. It divided western lands into square townships. Land Ordinance of 1785 • Congress surveyed the land into squares 6 miles on each side. (townships) Land Ordinance of 1785 • Each town was divided into 36 smaller sections, 640 acres each. (the cost was a minimum of $1 per acre) Land Ordinance of 1785 • People pooled their money in order to be able to afford a piece of land. Theoretical township diagram showing method of numbering sections with adjoining sections. Northwest Ordinance (1787) -Investors were eager to buy land in the Northwest Territory, north of the Ohio River. -They pressed Congress to determine how the area would be governed. -In response, Congress passed the North West Ordinance of 1787. -It guaranteed basic rights for settlers and banned slavery there. -The Northwest Ordinance set a three-step process for admitting new states. Northwest Ordinance (1787) • When 5,000 free males of voting age settled an area, it became selfgoverning. • When the population reached 60,000 free citizens, the area could apply for statehood. Ex.) OH, IN, IL, MI, WI • Slavery was outlawed. How did the two ordinances turn national land into private holdings? They divided public land into townships that could be purchased by private investors. Once a specified number of people resided in the purchased territory, it could apply to become a state. Growing Problems -Under the Articles of Confederation, the United States won its independence, signed a peace treaty with Britain, and created rules for settling territories. -There were also problems: Trade and tax issues between states hurt the economy, the national government could not stop public unrest, and it had little money because it could not collect taxes. -Because the United States seemed to be weak, powerful nations viewed it with scorn. -British troops continued to occupy forts in the Northwest Territory. -Spain refused to let Americans ship products down the Mississippi River. Shays’ Rebellion •Farmer’s income decreased while taxes increased. • In Massachusetts, many Farmers who could not pay their debts had their farms taken away by the courts. Massachusetts farmer Daniel Shays and his supporters occupy a Massachusetts courthouse. • Therefore, in 1786, Daniel Shays led a group of farmers in an attempt to capture a federal arsenal. Men Fighting During Shays' Rebellion • The U.S., without an organized army, was powerless. Massachusetts sent a militia to stop the rebellion. • Shays’ Rebellion convinced many people that the U.S. needed a new, stronger government. • The Articles of Confederation needed to be replaced! What did Shay’s Rebellion demonstrate about the strength of the national government under the Articles of Confederation? That they provided for a government that was too weak to keep popular unrest in check. Chapter 7, Section 1 Governing A New Nation Section Focus Question: What were the major successes and failures of the government under the Articles of Confederation? Success—formed the framework of a government; established Congress. Failures—did not provide for a strong central government; did not provide for an executive or a system of national courts.