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From Mediocre to Sublime

From Mediocre to Sublime. The Transformation of America’s Central Power: From the Articles to the Constitution. Now we return to our regularly scheduled program…. The colonists are victorious in the Revolution giving them freedom from England YEEEAAAAYYYYYY…now what?

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From Mediocre to Sublime

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  1. From Mediocre to Sublime The Transformation of America’s Central Power: From the Articles to the Constitution

  2. Now we return to our regularly scheduled program… • The colonists are victorious in the Revolution giving them freedom from England • YEEEAAAAYYYYYY…now what? • The first constitution of the United States was not what we know today, but rather the Articles of Confederation • The Articles aimed to set up an alliance between the 13 states rather than have one central authority figure or government • Why would the newly formed U.S. want to avoid a strong central government? • Each state got 1 vote in Congress, regardless of population • Powers were divided between the states and national government • The national government could declare war, make peace, sign treaties, borrow money, set standards for coins and weights and measures, and establish a postal service

  3. Head (North)West Young Man • After the Revolutionary War, people settled west of the Appalachians, so Congress passed the Land Ordinance of 1785 to survey the land and, more importantly… • The Northwest Ordinance of 1787 provided a procedure for dividing the land into no fewer than three and no more than five states • Requirements were also set for the admission of new states • These ordinances were the best things the Articles of Confederation did

  4. Madness • Weaknesses of Articles: • No executive branch (blame King George III) • No federal courts (state courts only) • Federal legislative branch was intentionally weak (state sovereignty more important than federal control) • Each state had one vote (advantage: small states) • 9 out of 13 states needed to approve a law • All amendments must be unanimously voted for by the states • There was no control of interstate trade and states levied tariffs against each other • No standing army; states contributed troops as they felt it was important • States overprinted money, making it worthless (and money in one state wasn’t necessarily useable in another state)

  5. You’re My Greatest Mistake… • So since there were all of these problems with the Articles, why did so many smart peopleargue that a stronger Articles of Confederation would have bad for the future of America?

  6. I Throw My Hands Up in the Air Sometimes…Saying Hey, NO! I WON’T LET IT GO! (sorry for the bad editorializing of a bad song) • By 1786, there was a clear division of haves and have-nots • Some of the have-nots in Massachusetts decided it would be a good idea to try to burn Boston down… • …I’ll let you guess how that turned out… • Daniel Shays, a veteran of the Revolution, led his fellow farmers to fight for their land that was foreclosed upon • Shays demanded the state issue paper money, lighten taxes, and suspend property takeovers because they were broke and wanted to keep their land • Massachusetts raised a small army (with wealthy help) and put down the revolt

  7. Let the Bodies Hit the Floor… • Why would the Massachusetts elite be willing to help put down Shays’s Rebellion?

  8. It’s All About the Benjamins… • The 1st Constitutional Convention attempted to meet over the issue of commerce (that means money) but only 5 states showed up • Alexander Hamilton said a new convention should meet the next year in NY to deal with the Articles as a whole (not just money) • Congress didn’t like Hamilton’s plan, but since 6 states had already appointed delegates, they called for the convention “for the sole and express purpose of revising” the Articles

  9. Help! I Need Somebody Help! • Instead of revising the Articles, 55 conservative delegates from large and small states agreed to throw out the Articles and create a new constitution despite strict orders to revise it

  10. You Can’t Always Get What You Want • Virginia Plan: Large state plan where congressional members based on state population in a bicameral (2 house) Congress • New Jersey Plan: Small state plan where congressional members would be elected with equal representation per state in a unicameral (1 house) Congress • Great Compromise: A bicameral Congress would exist with one body (House of Representatives) based on population and one body (Senate) based on equal representation • We’ll get deeper into the Constitution tomorrow

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