The Confederation and the Constitution

1
Chapter 9

• The Confederation and the Constitution
• 1776-1790

2
Pursuit for Equality

• Revolution idealism
• primogeniture
• Beginning of separation of Church and State?
  Anglican Church reform
• Antislavery movement- not far enough
• Lack of womens rights
• focus on civic virtue
• Republican Motherhood

3
Economic Problems

• Loyalist/royal land cheap, available
• American manufacturing? competition with British
  after war
• Speculation, profiteering inflation
• Similarities to hold shaking country together?

4
Creating a Confederation

• Continental Congress no constitutional authority
• 13 sovereign states
• Articles of Confederation 1777, ratified 1781
• Western land dilemma common benefit!

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The Articles of Confederation

• 1st government? loose link of independent states
  to deal with common problems
• 1 house legislature, 1 state1 vote
• No executive, only state courts
• 9 states for bills
• Unanimous ratification for amendments
• Reasons?

7
The Articles of Confederation

• Congress couldnt regulate trade
• Ask for tax contribution
• No control over states/citizens
• 1783 Congress fled Philadelphia
• Stepping stone

8
Land Laws

• 2 important pieces of legislation
• For Northwest Territory
• Land Ordinance of 1785
• Northwest Ordinance of 1787

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10
Anarchy

• No money no international credit
• Tariffs from other states, depreciated paper
  money
• Shays Rebellion 1786
• Wealthy property owners vs. debtor class
• mobocracy? rein in disorder
• States rights vs. strong federal government?

11
Constitutional Convention Participants

• Interstate commerce problems Annapolis
  Convention
• Articles needed revision!
• 55 delegates meet in Philadelphia May 25, 1787
  (no Rhode Island)
• Secrecy
• Demigods
• Upper class, 19 owned slaves, focus on preserving
  US? protect property rights
• Protect republican experiment, tariff
  enforcement, stop mobocracy

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Constitutional Compromises

• Virginia Plan (large states)
• New Jersey Plan (small states)
• Great Compromise
• Strong executive branch
• Electoral College? House of Representatives if no
  majority
• 3/5 Compromise
• Abolish slave trade after 1807

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Fear of The Mob

• Delegates had more in common
• Strong money, protection of property
• Strong central government, 3 branches
• Feared the mob
• Safeguards against the people
• Appointment of federal judges for life
• Indirect election of President and Senators
• Property requirements for voting for House of
  Reps
• Still founded on republicanism

14
Federalist vs. Antifederalist

• No unanimous ratification necessary
• Antifederalists
• Wealthy class stealing power, bill of rights?
• Federalists power and influence
• Federalist Papers (Hamilton, Jay, Madison)
• Federalist 10

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This mottled map shows that federalist support
tended to cluster around the coastal areas, which
had enjoyed profitable commerce with the outside
world, including the export of grain and tobacco.
Impoverished frontiersmen, suspicious of a
powerful new central government under the
Constitution, were generally antifederalists.