A Loose Confederation

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A Loose Confederation

• Chapter 7.1

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Overview

• Why states had their own constitutions
• What were weakness of the Confederation
• What disputes existed between the states
• What did citizens think of the new government.

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Read
PLEASE READ PAGES 200-205
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Why States had own Constitutions

• 12 States had a legislature and executive branch
• Legislature passed laws
• Executive enforced law
• Spell out rights of citizens

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Limit Power

• States wrote constitutions to set limits on
  government power
• States feared a central government would pass
  laws that were not in the best interest of the
  states affected.

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Articles of Confederation

• New Laws required approval of 9 states
• Congress could not regulate trade or taxes
• No president to execute laws
• No courts to settle conflicts between states

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Weakness of Confederation

• Conflicts between states
• Money problems
• Could not coin money
• No executive to carry out laws
• Other nations take advantage

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Noah Webster

• So long as any individual state has power to
  defeat the measure of the other twelve, our
  pretend union is but a name, and our
  confederation, a cobweb Noah Webster, Sketches
  of American Policy
• Webster advocates a strong central government to
  be effective

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Websters Thoughts

• What does Noah Webster mean when he calls the
  United States our pretend union is but a name
• The federal government should pay attention to a
  unified defense

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Dispute over Western States

• States disputing
• Virginia
• New York
• Massachusetts
• Connecticut
• North Carolina
• Georgia

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Admitting New States

• Land Ordinance of 1785
• System for setting up Northwestern Territory
• Northwest Ordinance provides way to admit new
  state
• Needed 60,000 free settlers

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Call for Change

• Farmers Revolt (Shays Rebellion)
• Convention Called
• Leaders agree to meet to revise Articles of
  Confederation
• Washington favored call for Convention

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Thoughts behind change!

• "A little rebellion now and then is a good thing.
  It is a medicine necessary for the sound health
  of government. God forbid that we should ever be
  twenty years without such a rebellion.
• Thomas Jefferson, January 30, 1787

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Questions

• What document created a loose alliance of
  independent states?
• Articles of Confederation
• What set up a system for governing new
  territories?
• Northwest Ordinance
• Giving up any claim to territories is called?
• cede

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Round 2 Questions

• Name a weakness of the Articles of Confederation?
• Congress lacked the power to coin money
• No executive to carry out the laws
• To become a state according to the Northwest
  Ordinance, territories had to have a population
  of?
• 60,000 free settlers

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Round 3

• How many states had to ratify the Constitution
  before it would become law?
• 9 of 13 states
• How did Americans such as George Washington react
  to the violence of Shays Rebellion
• They wanted the Articles of Confederation revised

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Review

• We now understand what difficulties are created
  by the Articles of Confederation
• We know the limited power the central government
  had in governing the new country.
• We understand the call for change that was
  advocated by the average citizen.

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Constitutional Convention Rap

• An amazing array of delegates came to hear
• Some solutions to complaints that all had feared
• Ben Franklin, Alexander Hamilton, and Roger
  Sherman all knew
• In hopes of a proposal by a chosen few
•  
• They met in a building better known as
  Constitution Hall
• It was hot and uncomfortable none of them were
  having a ball
• Two rival plans were in dispute
• New Jersey and Virginia, it wasnt cute
•  

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• Virginia wanted central power in the hands of
  three
• Washington was there to keep peace and America
  free
• Jersey complained each state should have one vote
• James Madison was there and he took some great
  notes
• The Great Compromise met all their needs
• Eventually known as the Constitution for all to
  heed
• A piece of paper that made it around the horn
• A new Republic was ultimately born
• I never said that Mr. Flynn could rap
• But it sure beats reading and filling the gap
• I know that some of you think this is really wack
• So dont fall asleep, you all in the back!