Download 8-2.6 PPT Notes New Governments take Shape 8

8-2.6 PPT Notes New Governments take Shape
8-2.6 Essential Question: How exactly did we set up our government in South Carolina and the United States after the
American Revolution?
Why did the Articles of Confederation Stink?
During the American Revolution, the colonies worked together because they were united behind a cause. Following the
Declaration of Independence, the members of the Continental Congress realized that it would be necessary to set up a
national government. They discussed and debated the idea of what the new government should look like. The Articles
of Confederation would finally be approved and sent to the states to be ratified in 1777. The final ratification would not
take place until 1781.
The Articles of Confederation was the first constitution of the thirteen original states, in effect from 1781 to 1789 and
provided for a loose confederation or “firm league of friendship.” It loosely united the states into a confederation where
the bulk of power went to the state governments and there was little national power. The states would act like
individual countries and the Federal Government would just take on the role of an advisor. American Colonists were
worried about one or a few people having too much power (like a king) in the new government. So they would design
the Articles of Confederation to give most of the power to the individual states and deliberately keep the Federal
Government weak (and guarantee that we would never have a king).
But the Articles of Confederation would have many problems:
There was no common currency. Everyone carried money from each state or from other countries. Congress could print
money, but almost no one wanted it. People from one state often would not accept the money from another state. It
made it difficult to do business!
Congress did not have the power to tax people and therefore had no way to raise money for the national government.
The U.S. could not pay its debts! It still owed money to France, Holland, and Spain from the American Revolution. It did
not even have enough money to pay its Continental Army soldiers!
International and Domestic Problems: The U.S. lacked the military power to defend itself against foreign enemies.
Congress could declare war, but it lacked the power to raise a national army. It could ask states to send militia troops,
but the states could refuse. States acted as individual countries and rarely agreed. Connecticut and Virginia almost went
to war over land claims! Congress could not regulate or control trade. Individual states often put high taxes on goods
from other states .
No one was really in charge. There was no President or any one enforcing the laws of the Federal Government.
Congress’ actions were unenforceable. State leaders did whatever was in the best interest of their states, not necessarily
what was best for the country.
There was no national court system. There was no way to settle disputes between states or between people from
different states.
It was hard for Congress to get anything done! 9 out of 13 states had to agree before Congress could make a law. Also,
in order to change or amend the Articles of Confederation, they would need all 13 states to agree. Each state had one
vote in Congress. So small states had as much say as large states with a lot more people.
The Congress of Confederation did get some things right. In 1787, the Confederation Congress passed the Northwest
Ordinance. The act created a system of government for the Northwest Territory. It helped stop land disputes over the
territories and set rules for the territories to become states.
South Carolinian Charles Pinckney was an early advocate for a stronger national government. Pinckney chaired a
committee of the Confederation Congress that recommended amendments that would strengthen the government
under the Articles of Confederation and also served on a committee trying to persuade other states to pay their
obligations to the national government.
Shays Rebellion
Farmers from Massachusetts would bring the debate on the problems of our new government to a head with Shays’
Rebellion. Problems started when the government of Massachusetts decided to raise taxes instead of issuing paper
money to pay off its debts. Farmers who could not pay their taxes, had their farms taken away from them. Farms were
auctioned off to pay the taxes. Those who could not pay their personal debts were often sent to prison! The
Massachusetts legislature refused to listen or help farmers in their state. A group of farmer felt they had no choice but
to rebel. Daniel Shays, a former Revolutionary War captain, led the rebellion. Rebels started forcing courts to close and
freeing jailed debtors. They forced the courts to close so there could be no more hearings to foreclose on additional
farms. Rebels shut down the court in Northampton, then tried to shut down a court in Springfield. The Governor of the
state sent a militia to break up the rebellion and round up the rebels. Shays’ rebellion would bring the country to the
brink of crisis. Shays’ rebellion showed that a weak national government could not keep order in the new United States
of America. In February of 1787, Congress invited state delegates to meet in Philadelphia to talk about making changes
to the Articles of Confederation in order to make the nation stronger. They would get rid of the Articles of Confederation
altogether and come up with the Constitution.
South Carolina forms a government as a new state.
Even before the first shots of the Revolution were shot, South Carolina Patriots had been busy setting up an
Independent government. The General Meeting elected a Committee of 99 (15 merchants, 15 artisans and 69 planters)
that became the de facto government (the government existed without actually having official authority). Although the
royal governor was still in Charleston, most of the residents of the city obeyed the Committee of 99. In 1774, the
General Meeting called for the election of delegates to a Provincial Congress. The Provincial Congress Government of
South Carolina during the American Revolution raised an army, issued currency, and commissioned the writing of a
constitution. However not everyone in South Carolina was happy with this government, especially the people of the
backcountry. Representation in this Congress was mostly from the Lowcountry.
Trouble at Ninety-Six: The Patriot forces of the Lowcountry and the Loyalist forces in the Backcountry fought for three
days in the township of Ninety-Six. The provincial government sent a delegation to the backcountry in an attempt to
make peace. In the Treaty of Ninety Six, the backcountry agreed that they would remain neutral in the fight with Great
Britain. The Patriots were successful in their attempt to silence the Loyalist opposition in the Backcountry. South
Carolina adopted its first constitution establishing an independent state government before the Declaration of
Independence was signed. It was written by the provincial government and was to serve as the foundation of
government until the disagreements with England were resolved. This constitution provided for a two house
legislature with the lower house elected by the people and the upper house elected by the lower house. The president,
who was elected by the legislature, had the right to veto laws. The Lowcountry had more representation in the new
government than did the backcountry. A second constitution was written after the signing of the Declaration of
Independence, however, it included only a few changes. The president would now be called the governor,
representation was slightly more equally distributed and the Church of England was no longer the official, statesupported church of South Carolina.
The Continental Congress acted as the first national government of the United States. South Carolinians took an active
role in the establishment of the new national government. South Carolinian Henry Laurens served as president of the
Continental Congress and later on the committee that negotiated the Treaty of Paris of 1783 for the government.
The Treaty of Paris of 1783 officially ended the Revolutionary War and Great Britain recognized the independence of the
former colonies.
The Articles of Confederation got thrown out. The Constitution would take its place.