THE ARTICLES OF

CONFEDERATION
CHAPTER 5, SECTION 1
 DEMOCRACY VS REPUBLIC

Democracy Republic
• Government directly by the • Government in which citizens rule
people through elected reps.

• Pro – the people’s voice is heard • Pros – less tedious, educated

for every decision representatives

• Cons –very tedious, too much • Cons – representatives don’t always

power in the hands of the act in favor of their constituents.
uneducated masses
 THE AMERICAN REPUBLIC

• Republican Motherhood
• Women should run the household &
train young men to uphold the values
of the American Revolution
 ARTICLES OF CONFEDERATION

• 1st constitution of USA

• Weak central gov’t
• Representation – one vote/state
• Unicameral Congress
• No executive or judicial branches
• Powers:
• Declare war, raise armies, sign treaties
• Couldn’t: tax or regulate trade
 WEAKNESSES
• Growing debt
No power to tax
• Can’t pay the army

No power to enforce • England won’t leave forts in NW

treaties • Spain cuts off access to Miss. River

• Populated states not represented

One vote
equally
Congress can’t regulate • States place high taxes on one another
trade

Amending requires • Difficult to change the Articles

unanimous decision
 SUCCESSES

• Land Ordinance of 1785

• Plan for mapping and selling land in the Northwest Territory
• Congress’ main form of revenue under the Articles of Confederation
 SUCCESSES
• Northwest Ordinance 1787
• Procedure for dividing western lands into territories and then
admitting states into the country
• NO SLAVERY allowed in the NW Territory

• Each territory appointed a Governor by

1 Congress

• Reach 5,000 voting residents send non-

voting rep. to Congress
2
• Reach 60,000 free residents
3 • Write state Constitution
• Congress approve Constitution = STATE!
 SHAYS’ REBELLION 1787

• States increased taxes to pay war debt

• When farmers couldn’t pay, courts foreclosed on the farm
• Daniel Shays led a militia in attempt to close the courts
• Brought attention to the need for a stronger gov’t
CONSTITUTIONAL
CONVENTION
CHAPTER 5, SECTION 2
 CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION

• Philadelphia, 1787
• 55 delegates – from all states except Rhode Island
• Purpose: address the problems w/ the Articles, then create a new
Constitution
• Washington agrees to attend – gives legitimacy
 THE GREAT COMPROMISE
• Bicameral (2 house) Congress
• Senate – equal representation
• House of Representatives – based on population

• 3 branches of gov’t & single executive

• Census every ten years to determine population
 SLAVERY DEBATE

North South
• Slave pop. SHOULD NOT • Slave pop. SHOULD count
count when determining # of when determining # of Reps in
Reps in Congress Congress

3/5TH COMPROMISE
• 3/5ths of a state’s slaves counted towards population for
representation
Slave Trade Compromise
• Promised not to interfere with the slave trade for 20 years
ELECTORAL COLLEGE COMPROMISE

• Who will choose the

president?
• Afraid of uninformed
individuals making decisions

• Electoral College
• State legislatures choose
electors who meet together to
decide the president
THE CONSTITUTION
THREE BRANCHES
OF GOVERNMENT
ARTICLES OF THE CONSTITUTION

• Article I – The Legislature

• The Elastic Clause – create new laws that are seen as
“necessary & proper”
• Commerce Clause – Congress has the right to regulate trade
w/ foreign nations & between the states

• Article II – The Executive

• Duties of the President

• Article III – The Judicial Branch

• Supreme Court & federal courts
 ARTICLES OF THE CONSTITUTION

• Article IV – Relations among the States

• Full Faith & Credit Clause – States must honor other states’ laws

• Article V – Amending the Constitution

• 2/3 of each house in Congress OR 3/4 of state legislatures

• Article VI – Supremacy of National Gov’t

• Supremacy Clause – federal law > state law

• Article VII – Ratification

 CHECKS AND BALANCES
Separation of Powers: powers given specifically to each branch of gov’t

Veto: Rejects
Ratify: sign or give formal consent
Unconstitutional: Goes against the laws of the Constitution

Power Branch: Checked By:

Create/pass laws L E, J
Veto bills E L
Negotiate treaties E L
Appoints cabinet secretaries & E L
Supreme Court Justices
 FEDERALISM

• Powers are divided between the state and federal

governments
 DIFFERENT KINDS OF POWERS

• Enumerated/Expressed/Delegated Powers: Just federal gov’t

powers
• Reserved Powers: Just state powers
• Concurrent Powers: State AND Federal powers
RATIFYING THE
CONSTITUTION
CHAPTER 5, SECTION 3
 FEDERALISTS VS. ANTIFEDERALISTS

• Federalists
• Supported the Constitution & strong gov’t
• Supported checks & balances to prevent abuses
• Bill of Rights was unnecessary b/c every state
has a B.o.R.

• Antifederalists
• Opposed aspects of the Constitution
• Wanted weaker gov’t - more power at state level
• Afraid a strong gov’t would deny citizens’ rights
• Wanted a Bill of Rights to state basic human
rights
 THE FEDERALISTS PAPERS
• Series of essays that defended the
Constitution

• Appeared under pen name Publius

• written by James Madison, A. Hamilton,
John Jay

• Purpose: Explained how the Constitution

worked to encourage support
 RATIFICATION

• June 1788 – 9 states ratified

Constitution  officially takes
effect
• 1st – Delaware
• Last – Rhode Island in 1790
(AFTER Constitution took
effect)