LESSON TITLE CONFEDERATION & CONSTITUTION

OBJECTIVES:

1. The students will examine the process whereby a new
government was formed.

2. The students will discover the reasons why a weak
government was created.

3.

LESSON SUMMARY:

This lesson will look at the creation of the Articles of Confederation.

ASSIGNMENTS:

1.

2.

NOTES

CREATED NOVEMBER 1993

REVISED

I. The Second Continental Congress

A. Role was a temporary govt

1. not legitimate in one sense

2. not elected by voters

3. a legitimate govt necessary if they won

B. Special commission created

1. drew up the Articles of Confederation

2. finished in 1777

3. states argued over ratification

a. fighting a war & fighting themselves

C. Ratification took place in 1781

1. states with land claims west of Appalachians gave them up

2. quickly ratified then

3. rocky start

II. Structure of Confederation government

A. Framers feared tyranny

1. motivated to fight England for independence

2. Parliament was strong central govt

3. wished to avoid strong central govts

B. Basic facts of Articles of Confederation

1. written by Continental Congress

2. first govt of the United States

a. proved a failure

3. created a weak alliance of states

a. states retained much power

4. very weakness caused its failure

III. The Central Government

A. Confederation Congress

1. main part of the govt

2. one house legislature

a. each state had one vote

b. could send 2 to 7 delegates

B. Voting in Confederation Congress

1. passing laws required 2/3 vote

a. 9 of 13 had to approve

2. amending required unanimous vote

a. later proved impossible

C. Main powers of Congress

1. conduct foreign affairs

a. sending ambassadors

b. included relations with Native Americans

2. could make war and peace

3. created a postal service

4. could issue currency

D. No Executive Branch

E. No Judicial Branch

IV. Major Weaknesses of the A of C

A. Fear of central power main flaw

1. states didn't want to be ordered

2. just fought a war over authority

3. national govt deliberately weak

B. No power to tax

1. major weakness

2. states voluntarily contributed

a. no force mechanism

3. debt from war crippling problem

C. Couldn't regulate interstate commerce

1. states hindering free trade

a. each state had tariffs

2. kept the economy local and backward

D. No power to impose a national tariff

1. protect infant manufacturers

E. Very difficult to amend the A of C

1. all 13 had to approve

2. never happened

F. States simply too strong under A of C

LESSON TITLE CONFEDERATION & CONSTITUTION

OBJECTIVES:

1. Students will be able to explain why the Articles of
Confederation failed.

2. They will discuss the Northwest Ordinance of 1787

3.

LESSON SUMMARY:

They will follow the Articles of Confederation through to its collapse. They will also discuss Jefferson's Northwest Ordinance.

ASSIGNMENTS:

1. Essays on failure of the Articles of Confederation

2.

NOTES

CREATED NOVEMBER 1993

REVISED

I. Northwest Ordinance of 1787

A. Land was a big issue

1. U.S. had lots of territory besides the 13
states

2. question of what to do when settled

3. would they be equal states?

B. Thomas Jefferson crafted this ordinance

1. greatest success of the A of C

C. What the Ordinance did

1. set up procedure for territorial govt

2. made requirements for statehood

a. required population of 60,000

3. area stretched from Ohio to MN

4. forbid slavery from these areas

a. significant action

b. hope was that slavery would die off

II. Reasons for failure of the A of C

A. Main reason was economic

1. rising debt

a. no power to pay it off

b. no way to get foreign loans

2. Europe viewed U.S. as bad investment

B. The Debt Problem

1. U.S. owed $50 million from war

a. $10 million foreign

b. $40 million domestic

2. 1994 debt over $4 trillion

C. Unfavorable balance of trade

1. buying more from England than selling

a. main trading partner

2. money flowing out of the country

D. Weakness of Congress

1. no Executive to focus goals

2. too weak to force the states to pay

3. impossible to amend change

a. always voted down

E. Shays's Rebellion

1. showed how weak the govt was

2. final straw

III. Shays's Rebellion 1786-87

A. Started by farmers in western MA

1. Daniel Shays one leader

2. angry over high taxes & debts

B. Foreclosure & imprisonment common for debt

1. western MA hit hard

2. people felt govt not for them

3. revolt first aimed at courts

C. Confederation Congress appeared inept

1. couldn't organize a strike at Shays

D. State Militia defeated Shays

1. between Jan.-Feb. 1787

2. farmers were poorly organized mob

3. most would latter be pardoned

a. included Daniel Shays

E. Symbolized possible return to revolution

LESSON TITLE CONFEDERATION & CONSTITUTION

OBJECTIVES:

1. The students will be able to give the reasons why a
Constitutional Convention was called.

2. They will be able to describe and distinguish the New
Jersey and Virginia Plans.

3.

LESSON SUMMARY:

This lesson will describe the events of the Constitutional Convention.

ASSIGNMENTS:

1. small group research projects

2. recall worksheets or quizzes

NOTES

CREATED January 1994

REVISED

I. Annapolis Convention Sept. 1786

A. Called to discuss weakness of the A of C

1. too few delegates showed

2. hard to accomplish things

B. Called for another convention

1. to meet in Philadelphia

2. invite more delegates

II. The Constitutional Convention

A. Met May to September 1787

B. Delegates supposed to draft amendments A of C

1. didn't obey this

2. opted to create a new constitution

3. worked in secret

C. George Washington elected president of convention

1. played a symbolic role

D. James Madison

1. contributed most of the ideas

2. Father of the Constitution

3. kept accurate notes of the precedings

a. written record

E. The Delegates

1. mostly wealthy conservatives

a. very well educated

2. most held nationalist views

a. placed country over state

b. favored strong central govt

3. most feared democracy

a. believed mass was too ignorant

b. give propertied class the vote

c. not known by many

d. example of myth in history

III. Constitutional Debates

A. Main argument over strength of federal govt

1. knew had to share power with states

a. federal system

2. knew central govt had to be much stronger

B. James Madison created Virginia Plan

1. introduced by Edmund Randolph

a. shrewd move by Madison

b. powerful speaker

c. came to oppose the plan though

C. Virginia Plan

1. created three branches of govt

a. separation of powers

b. system of checks and balances

2. 2 house legislature

a. lower house elected by people

b. upper house chosen by lower

c. representation would be by population

d. favored large states

3. legislature would be main branch

a. elect the executive

b. appoint the judiciary

D. The New Jersey Plan

1. created by William Patterson

a. more conservative plan

b. called for fewer changes A of C

2. kept a unicameral legislature

a. representation would be equal

b. favored small states

3. added a supreme court

IV. Connecticut Compromise or Great Compromise

A. Slavery proved a big problem

1. ugly issue, foreshadowed future problems

2. Southerners wanted slaves counted

a. increase representation

3. Northerners generally opposed to that

4. debate holding up the Convention

B. Executive Branch

1. elected president

a. 4 year term, could be reelected

2. electoral college pick the president

a. not decided by popular vote

C. Judicial Branch

1. headed by Supreme Court

a. Congress set number of justices

b. today its 9

2. president would pick justices

3. Senate would confirm them

4. justices serve for life

5. Congress could create lower courts

D. Legislative Branch

1. House of Representatives, lower house

a. proportional representation

b. serve two year terms

2. The Senate, upper house

a. equal representation

b. serve six year terms

c. each state has two senators

E. Three/Fifths Compromise

1. helped get delegates to ratify the
Constitution

2. 5 slaves count 3 free men for
representation

3. 5 slaves count as 3 free men for taxation

4. Slave trade abolished in 1808

5. avoided putting word slavery in the
Constitution

LESSON TITLE CONFEDERATION & CONSTITUTION

OBJECTIVES:

1. The students will analyze the ratification debate.

2. They will differentiate between the various branches
of government and the powers and duties of each.

3.

LESSON SUMMARY:

The lesson will briefly cover the debate over ratification. More detail will be given to the practical side of government.

ASSIGNMENTS:

1. great possibility for debate, speculation

2. small group activities or projects

NOTES

CREATED January 1994

REVISED

I. Ratification Process

A. Sept. 1787 Convention adjourned

1. Constitution sent to the states

2. required 9 of 13 ratify it

a. easier than the A of C

3. debate focused most sharply in NY, VA

a. two largest states

b. if they rejected the Constitution it
would fail

B. The Federalists

1. group that supported the Constitution

a. best organized

b. worked more efficiently

2. Federalist Papers widely read pamphlets

1. published by Publius

2. real authors Alexander Hamilton,
James Madison, John Jay

a. Hamilton wrote most

3. very influential in attracting support

C. Anti-Federalist

1. opposed ratification, various reasons

a. feared new power of govt, most
common

2. disunited group

3. given negative label by Federalists

4. really had no alternate proposal

a. reject the Constitution, then what?

D. New York and Virginia