Chapter 9

The Confederation and the Constitution

A Country Begins Many not affected by the WarImpact: Loyalists Leave, Upper Class WeakensEquality all the rageEasier to vote Property Requirements LoweredPrimogeniture- Fathers Property to Oldest Son, this endedAnglican- Association with England- ReestablishedChurch vs. State- Virginia Statute (Jefferson) Dec. of Independence- All Men Created Equal Slavery Challenges- Quakers & Continental Congress stopped Slave TradeSlavery Too Hot to Handle, Country Couldnt Handle the Situation

Female InfluenceNot given many rightsRepublican Motherhood Serve as an example for the republican ideology A Prestigious Role Keepers of the Nations Conscience

State ConstitutionsConfederation- States had more independence and sometimes more powerConstitution CommonalitiesBill of Rights- Basic LibertiesAnnual Elections- More Voter AccountabilityWeak Executive & Judicial BranchesStrong Legislative BranchesMany moved State Capitols away from the Coast (Political Shift)

Economic ChangesLoyalist/English LandMostly divided into Small FarmsEnglish Imports StoppedSelf-SufficientNeeded New CustomersSome Success (China)Inflation a ProblemAverage Joe worse off than beforeDistaste for all taxes and laws (Result from the Revolution)

A New GovernmentA Country of States, Not United StatesMistrust of LeadershipExperimentation and InnovationCheap British Supplies Hurt American Businesses (Huge Supply, Low Prices)Good LeadershipSecond Continental Congress- Military Leadership & Foreign Policy, but little elseStates produced own money, military,& taxesArticles of Confederation (1777), not ratified until 1781Land Issues, Some states received western lands, others did notThese western lands led to the Northwest Ordinance (1787), which led to the settlement of new states (A Bonding Moment)

Articles of Confederation1781-1787A Firm League of FriendshipLegislative Branch the Only Significant BranchEqual Representation2/3rds Vote for PassingUnanimous Vote to AmendDid not regulate CommerceHad a voluntary Tax-QuotaA Good Go-Between

Land LawsLand Ordinance of 1785Formed TownshipsVery Organized, Unlike Other PlacesSet Aside Land for a SchoolNorthwest Ordinance of 1787Area North of the Ohio RiverExpected to form statesNo Slavery

Foreign DisputesNo RespectEnglish refused to deal with us (A Need for 13)Strong English Presence (Indian relations)Spanish controlled the Mississippi RiverFrance demanded paybacks and restricted trade from W. IndiesPirates off the coast of N. Africa (No Longer British protection)

Chaos in the ColoniesStates BickeringShays Rebellion in MASS (1786)Farmers in MASS losing their farms because of taxesMobocracyConservatives- Pushed for Strong, Central Government (exaggerated the condition)States Rights- (Downplayed the Condition)Mount Vernon (1785) & Annapolis (1786) held meetings to discuss the problems with the Articles of ConfederationMeeting in Philadelphia (1787)

Constitutional ConventionPhiladelphia (Summer of 1787)55 Men from 12 States (R. Island not present)Revision of Arts of ConfederationSecrecyMostly Lawyers, Involved with their own state constitutionsJames Madison Father of the ConstitutionNotable Absences- Jefferson, Adams, Patrick Henry Smelt a RatAverage Age: 42Main goal to strengthen the nationStart over

Time of CompromiseRepresentationBig State Plan (Virginia) 2 Houses (Population, $)Small State Plan ( NJ)1 House (Equal Representation)Great Compromise (CONN)2 Houses (House of Reps) (Senate)Executive BranchStrong LeaderElectoral CollegeSlavery3/5ths Compromise

ConstitutionSigned on September 17, 178717 weeksThe Basics3 BranchesChecks and BalancesSeparation of PowersFederal Judges- Lifetime AppointmentNot all were pleasedAnti Federalists, Federalists emerge, only 9 out of 13 had to approve

Final RatificationNew Constitution needed approval from 9 of the 13 statesSpirited debates at the state level, hotly contestedNew York one of the last states to ratify, Hamilton, Jay & Madison wrote The Federalist, to help convince NY to ratify, Most states approved because they felt they needed to approve for the sake of their peopleMinority Triumph- a minority had overthrown the English and the Articles of Confederation, Conservatism wins