Eachstate,
regardless
of
size,had only
one vote.
Congresscould
makelaws,but
there was no
executiveto
enforcethem.
Amendments
couldbe
adoptedonly
by unanimous
vote.
AMERICAS
FIRST
CONSTITUTION
HAD THE
FOLLOWING
WEAKNESSES:
Therewas
no national
court to settle
arguments
betweenstates.
Congress
couldonly ask
statesfor
troops,but
couldnot raise
an army.
Congresscould not
regulatecommerce
betweenstates,collect
taxes,or force states
to contributeto
governmentneeds.
LandOrdinancesDealwith a GrowingPopulation
TheArticlesof Confederation
did not giveenough
powerto Congress
to run the countrypermanently.lt
must,however,be considered
a big success.Above
all,the colonists,
directedby theserules,won the
Revolutionary
War. TheCongress
went on to passthe
Land Ordinanceof 1785and the Northwest
Ordinanceol 1787.
Somestatesownedwesternlands.Thesestates
couldsellthislandand raisemoneyto paywar debts.
Smaller
statesthat had no claimto westernlands
would havea toughtime repaying
theirdebtsleft
from the Revolution.
To makethingsfair,the 13 statescededtheir
Westernlandsto the federalgovernment. The Land
Ordinance
of 1785calledfor the Westernlandsto be
surveyed
and dividedinto 6-milesquareplots. One
t54
sectionin eachplotwas reserved
for publicschools.
TheNorthwestOrdinance
of 1787statedthat
oncea territoryhad60,000people,it wouldbecome
a state. The new stateswould havethe same
rightsto self-rule
asthe original13. TheOrdinance
includeda Billof Rights.lt outlawedslavery
and
guaranteed
itscitizens
freedomof religion,
trialby
jury,and publiceducation.ThisOrdinance
hadgreat
significance.
lt seta standard
for the groMh of the
restof the country.Theareabecamethe statesof
O h i o ,I n d i a n aM, i c h i g a nl l,l i n o i sW, i s c o n s i n
a ,n d p a r t
of Minnesota.
TheArticlesof Confederation
servedanothervital
role. lt gavethe peoplea trialand errorperiodof 13
years.Theybeganto seewhat workedand what did
government.
not in a republican
-\
CANAD
if
(AlsoClaimed
byEnsilard)
N'
A
w<-t+E
Y
"-ry
s
rsH2'J
SPAN
ours
IANA
Ceded by S.C.
t o U . S .1 7 8 7
Glaimed
by Ga.
The UnitedStates
Underthe Articles
of Confederation
TheNeedfor a Constitutional
Convention
Bythe mid 1780s,the Confederation
Congress
' l u n d i t s e l ifn d e e pt r o u b l e .l t s i m p l yd i d n o t h a v e
=roughpowerto run the country.
Congress
had borroweda hugeamountof money
:o payfor the Revolution.
However,
othernations
stoppedlendingmoneyto the UnitedStates.Since
longresscouldnot levytaxes,it expectedthe states
to sendmoney.Thestates,in turn, had littleto send.
Soldiers,
who had not beenpaid,couldnot takecare
of theirfamilies.
Whenproblems
occurredbetween
states,Congress
had no powerto get involved.
Twostatesalmostwent to war overfishingrights.
Thestatesalsotaxedtheircitizens
to the pointof
hardshio.
155
Shaysl Rebellion
Massachusetts
taxedpeoplemorethantheycould
pay.A farmerwhofellintodebtwouldlosehisfarm
at auction.lf the auctiondid not coverhisdebts,he
prison.TheMassachusetts
wentto debtor's
legislaturerefused
1787,JohnShays
to help.InJanuary
organized
1,500menandattacked
a government
storehouse
of ammunition.
Thestatemilitiaquicklyput an endto the attack.
government
However,
leaders
sawShays's
Rebellion
as
a warning.TheUnitedStates
wouldneversucceed
if
groupsof peopleroseup in revolt.
Eachregionput itsown self-interest
aheadof
thegoodof the nation.People
in NewEngland
had
littleinterest
in happenings
in theSouth.Andthe
Southerners
did not consider
the problems
of the
Northeast.
Thisiscalledsectionalism.Thestates
needed
a strongfederalgovernment
to keepthe
country
united.
Massachusettsfarmerc attack government leaders
in Shays'sRebellion,1787.
156
IndependenceHall in Philadelphia,Pennsylvania,
was where the Constitution was drafted.
Towarda More Perfect Union:
TheContinentalCongressMeets
Americans
hadnot foughtthe Revolution
onlyto
havethecountryfallapartin a few years.Theycalled
for a ConstitutionalConvention.Twelvestatessent
in May1787.Rhode
lsland
delegates
to Philadelphia
did not. Thedelegates
metat the StateHouse,
later
Hall.
calledIndependence
Farmers,
metto
merchants,
lawyers,
andbankers
workon a newconstitution.
Famous
leaders
George
Washington,
Benjamin
Franklin,
Madison,
James
GeorgeMason,Alexander
Hamilton,
andothers
served
Thomas
andJohn
asdelegates.
Jefferson
Adamshadbeensentto Europe
asambassadors.
Theycontributed
theiropinions
by mail.Thisbodyof
menbecame
knownasthe FoundingFathers.
TheConvention
elected
George
Washington
asits
president.
Thedelegatesthenvotedto keeptheir
discussions
secret.Thisallowedthemto feelfreeto
discuss
allsides
of an issue.Theydidnotwantto be
quoteduntiltheyhadmadetheirfinaldecisions.
GeorgeWashingtonpresidingover the ConstitutionalConvention,1787
d
It
branch,
thejudicial,
interpreted
laws.Thissetof
checksand balanceswouldguardagainst
onepersonor groupbecoming
too powerful.
Thedelegates
struggled
overthisplanfor weeks.
It proposed
a bicamerallegislature,
that is,a
bodywith two houses.Howmanyrepresentatives
wouldeachstatehavein thesetwo houses?
That
question
weeksof debate.TheVirginiaPlan
caused
Howto AssurcRepresentationfor
suggested
in each
the numberof representatives
All: large Statesvs. SmallStates
houseshould
depend
on thepopulation
of the
Edmund
Randolph,
Madison,
James
andotherdel- state.
egates
fromVirginiahadworkedout the firstplan. lt
Thesmaller
Plan.
states
opposed
theVirginia
wascalled
theVirginiaPlan. Thisoutlineseparated Theirversion,
the New JerseyPlan,calledfor a
government
thenational
intothreebranches.
The
unicameral,
or one-house
legislature.
Eachstate,
firstbranch,
the legislature,
madelaws.Thesecond
largeor small,
wouldhaveonevote.Thiswould
protectthe smaller
one,the executive
branch,
enforced
laws.Thethird
states'interests,
theyargued.
In June1787,the men in the hot, closedroom
votednot to revisethe Articlesof Confederation.
Insteadthey decidedto designa new government.
Theyfaceda difficultchallenge.The UnitedStates
neededa strongfederalgovernmentthat shared
powerwith the states.
t57
"-"-f
iliilIlItrfr,fl
Thc GreatCompromise
TheGreat Compromisefinallysettledthe
problem.RogerSherman
proposed
from Connecticut
that eachstatehavean eoualnumberof representativesin the Senate. Thenumberof membersin the
House of Representativeswould dependon the
population
of eachstate.Thisassured
all statesof full
representatron.
A Gluestionof Slavery
Slaves
werepartof the longdebate.How would
from each
theyaffectthe numbersof representatives
Northern
statein the Houseof Representatives?
stateswantedslavesto be countedfor the purposeof
TheSouthern
taxation,but not for representation.
Stateshad manymoreslavesthan the North. They
wantedjustthe opposite.Slaves
shouldbe counted
for representation,
not for taxation.
TheThree-FifthsCompromisesettledthe matter. lt ruledthat three-fifthsof a state'sslavepopulaand
tion wouldbe countedfor both representation
taxatron.
Manystateshadalready
outlawedimporting
wantedthe slavetradeto be
slaves.Thesedelegates
forbidden.States,
whichreliedon slavelabor,would
not agree.Congress
decidedto takeno actionon
slavery
at thistime.
PLAN
NEWJERSEY
VIRGINIA
PLAN
o Two houselegislature
(bicameral)
o Representation
in Congress
basedon population
. Supportedby largerstates
V.
. One houselegislature
(unicameral)
. Equalrepresentation
in
Congress
. Supportedby smallerstates
who fearedlosingpowerin
federalgovernment
THEGREAT
COMPROMISE
Two houselegislature
(bicameral)
Equalrepresentation
in the
upperhouseof Congress
(Senate)
Representation
in the lower
(Houseof
houseof Congress
Representatives)
to be
proportionalto population
158
OtherDecisionsHelplaunchthe
Government
Otheritemsup for discussion
includedthe length
:' termsfor the president
and legislators.
Theyalso
:etermined
powerto regulate
Congress's
commerce.
^ September
1787, Congress
signedthe Constitution.
:'rntedcopiesof the four pagesof text weresentto
:^e statelegislatures
for ratification, or approval.
'. ne states,or 2/3
of the states,had to ratifythe Conr:rtutionfor it to becomethe law of the lano.
TheFightfor Ratification:
Federalists
vs.Anti-Federalists
Copiesof the proposed
Constitution
appeared
in
^ewspapers.
"Liberty
Onewritersaid,
is generally
:stablished
with difficultyin the midstof storms;it is
cerfected
" Stormsof discord,
by civildiscords.
or dis-
agreements,
buzzedacrossthe states.Most people
had expectedsomechangesin the Articlesof Confederation.Butthe new centralgovernment
surprised
them. lt reminded
themof the Britishgovernment.
Theyhadjust overthrownthat system.
Peopledividedinto two camps.Thosein favorof
the new Constitution
were calledFederalists.They
wantedthe government
andthe statesto share
powerin a federalsystem.TheAnti-federalists
opposedthe new Constitution.
Theyfelt it did not
guarantee
rightsfor the people.lt alsoseemedto
taketoo muchpowerawayfrom the states.
OnceAgain-the Penis Mighty
Anti-federalists
published
articles
in newspapers.
Theywantedthe Constitution
to includethreemajor
points.First,and mostimportantly,
the mainpolitical
NORTHERN
STATES
SOUTHERN
STATES
o Wantedslavescountedas
populationto determine
representation
in the House
of Representatives
o Opposedcountingslaves
for
purpose
the
of taxation
V.
. Opposedcountingslavesas
populationto determine
representation
in the Houseof
Representatives
o Favoredcountingslavesfor
the purposeof taxation
THE3/5thsCOMPROMISE
o 3/5thsof slavescould be
countedaspopulationin
determining representation
to
the Houseof Representatives
o 3/5thsif slavescouldbe
countedfor the purposeof
taxation
FEDERALISTS
. Favoredratificationof the
Constitution
o Favoreda powerfulfederal
government
. argueda Billof Rightswas
not needed
ANTI.FEDERALISTS
. Opposedratificationof the
Constitution
. Wanteda weak federal
governmentthat would not
threatenstates'rights
o Wanteda Billof Rightsto
protectthe rightsof the
people
powershouldremainwith the states.Secondly,
the
legislature
shouldhavemoreauthoritythanthe executivebranch.Theyfeareda strongexecutive
would
try to takeoverthe government.Thirdly,
the Antifederalists
thoughtthe Constitution
neededa Billof
Rightsto protectall citizens.
The Federalists
resoonded
wrth lettersto the New
Yorknewspapers.
JohnJay,JamesMadison,and
Alexander
Hamiltonwrote85 essays.
Thesebecame
known as the FederalistPapers.TheFederalists
wantedto divideDowerbetweenthreebranchesof
government.Theycalledfor one leaderof the executivebranch.In addition,somepowersshouldbe
takenfrom the state.These,theyargued,shouldbe
givento the federalgovernment.
'1788.
followeda few
Marylandand SouthCarolina
monthslater.
O n J u n e2 1 , 1 7 8 8 ,N e wH a m p s h i rteh,e r e q u i r e d
ninthstate,ratifiedthe Constitution.lt was now the
law of the land. However,two importantstates,
Virginiaand NewYork,heldback. Virginiawasthe
largeststate. PatrickHenryand GeorgeMason,very
patrioticVirginians,
They
opposedratification.
changedtheirvoteswhenJamesMadisonspoke.He
saidhe felt confidentthat a Billof Riqhtswouldbe
added.
NewYorkfollowedVirginiaon July26, still
d e m a n d i nag B i l lo f R i g h t sN. o r t hC a r o l i naan d R h o d e
joinedthe restby
lsland,the lastof the thirteenstates,
1790.
AmericaRatifiesits Constitution
GeorgeWashingtonls Elected
FirstPresident
Thestatesheldconventions
to decidewhetheror
not to ratifythe Constitution.
Delaware,
Pennsylvania,
In April1789,the SenateelectedGeorgeWashand NewJersey
voted"yes"in December
1787. Next
ingtonto be President.
Thevotewas unanimous.
jornedthem.
Georgiaand Connecticut
JohnAdamswaschosenVicePresident.
NewYork
SamuelAdamsandJohnHancock
wereamong
Citywasselected
capitalof the
to be the temporary
the Anti-federalists
in Massachusetts.
Theywanteda
nation.There,on the stepsof Federal
Hall,George
Billof Rightsaddedto the document.However,
Washington
that
wasswornin asthe firstPresident
of the
statedid voteto ratifvthe Constitution
in Februarv
UnitedStates.
r60