The Articles of Confederation and Shay’s Rebellion:

Impetus for Change

Chapter 2What were strengths and weaknesses of the

AoC?What was Shay’s Rebellion?

Why was Shay’s Rebellion an important force for writing the Constitution?

The Articles of Confederation (drafted 1777; ratified 1781)

• Continued the structure and operation of the government established by the Second Continental Congress

• established a “league of friendship” among the 13 independent states

• Structure was unicameral (single-chamber).

• Each state had one vote in Congress, no matter size or population.

Key terms

• Confederation: a government where the national government gets its powers from the states; a league of independent states

• Republic: government rooted in the consent of the governed; representative or indirect democracy

• Federal system (federalism): government where the national government and state governments share power, derive authority from the people, and powers of national government are outlined in a constitution

Achievements of Articles

• Fair development of land to the west of the Appalachians – Northwest Ordinance of 1787: established the principle that

the territories were to be developed for statehood on the equal basis with the older states.

• Peace treaty with Great Britain – Enlarged US territory by acquiring land from the Atlantic Coast to

the Mississippi River and from The Great Lakes and Canada to Florida.

• Set up Departments for Foreign Affairs, War, Marine, and Treasury with secretaries – Precedent for creation of cabinet departments

• Encouraged “full faith and credit” of states: states to honor the legal acts of other states

Powers under the Articles

• make war and peace• send and receive

ambassadors• enter into treaties• raise and equip navy• maintain an army by

requesting troops from the states (national guard)

• appoint senior military officers

• fix standards of weights and measures

• regulate Indian affairs • establish post offices• decide certain disputes

among states

• All other powers resided with states

Weaknesses of the Articles• No power to levy or collect taxes

– State collected money and turned it over to the national treasury

– Could not back up value of coinage/money

• No power to regulate trade – Individual states tried to create treaties with

foreign countries

• No executive branch – Fearful of tyrannical ruler– President=oversees meetings of legislature

(John Hanson)

• No national court system – State courts enforced and interpreted laws – Conflict between states over boundaries and land

ownership (VA vs PA)• No unity in policy

– Unwilling to give up any power or rights– Soldiers resentful of unpaid service

• No power to enforce laws – Laws needed 9 of 13 states for approval – Not all delegates were in congress at the same time – 5 small states could block what larger states wanted – Needed consent of all states for amendments

Need for Stronger Government (1781-1787)Debt from the Revolution: Shay’s Rebellion• MA adopts constitution 1780 that favors interests of the

rich• Banks began to foreclose on farmers—many of whom

were veterans, waiting for promised pay bonuses by the government

• Fall 1786: MA legislature enacted law requiring all debts be paid in cash– Daniel Shays, former captain and farmer, leads 1,500 armed

farmers to force state courts to close to prevent foreclosures on their land

– When pleas were ignored, 1,200 advanced on the federal arsenal

– Only after months of scrambling was the MA government able to suppress the farmers (Feb. 1787); this alarmed American leaders fearful of internal rebellion and civil war

Annapolis Convention (1786)

• Called together to discuss commerce, specifically those barriers that limited trade between the largely independent states under the Articles, but ended with planning another convention in Philadelphia for the sole purpose of revising the Articles of Confederation.

Writing the ConstitutionMay-September 1787

What were important plans and compromises made during the Constitution?

What were motivations of the Framers?What was the fear surrounding the Executive

branch?

The Constitutional Convention “the sole and express purpose of revising the Articles of

Confederation”

Constitution: document establishing the structure, functions, and limitations

of a government

Prepared for treason? (completely new plans for gov’t)

Fifty-five delegates from across the colonies attend; sworn to secrecy

(accompany Ben Franklin to meals)

Refer to delegates as “Founding Fathers” or Framers, although average

age was 32

Has been debate about Framers’ motives:

Economic?

Social factors? (order & stability)

What point is the cartoonist trying to communicate in this cartoon?

Virginia Plan

Major issue of Convention: how to treat differences between large and

small states in the new union; regional differences

Plan favored by the large states; proposed by Randolph and Madison of VA

(European nation-state model—power from the people, not indiv. states)

Three-branch government (leg, exec, jud)

Two-house legislature

One house chosen by people, one by legislatures

Legislature can choose executive and judiciary

New Jersey Plan

Strengthen Articles—don’t replace them

Plan favored by small states; proposed by William Paterson of NJ

One house legislature with one vote for each state

Representatives chosen by state legislatures

Congress can raise revenues from duties (taxes) on imports and

postal service

Supreme Court with life terms appointed by executive

The Great (Connecticut) Compromise

Two-house (bi-cameral) legislature: House and Senate

House chosen by people, Senate by state legislatures

House based on population, two per state in Senate

Proposed by Roger Sherman of Connecticut

The only person to sign all four great state papers of the U.S.: the Continental Association,

the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation and the Constitution.

Revenue bills (spending/raising money) originate in the House

National government is supreme

Chief executive chooses Supreme Court

Appeases both large and small states

Other compromises

Three-Fifths Compromise regarding slavery

Apportionment of taxes by adding number of free people+3/5 of “other Persons”

Balance southern commercial interests with northern concerns

20 years more slave trade (1807); ban on taxing exports to protect cotton trade

South to hold 47% of House (prevent slavery attack, but not to foster spread of slavery)

Committee on Unfinished Portions handles executive

President with four-year term (could be reelected)

Electoral College (“to avoid tumult and disorder” of mass election; FP #68)

President can be removed from office by Congress

House: impeachment; Senate: conviction and removal