A NEW GOVERNMENT

THE ARTICLES OF CONFEDERATION

ARTICLES OF CONFEDERATION

1st form of a constitution for new country

states had to create own government all had republican form of government

people choose representatives to govern them (in a republic)

written same time as Declaration of Independence

1776-Continental Congress developing plan for national government

Needed to be a republic Americans were afraid that a strong

government would lead to tyranny (oppressive rule)

Set up a system of government that divided power between national gov. & individual state governments

Congress was the national body of gov: could declare war sign treaties deliver the mail create money

Successes of Continental Congress

Governed the nation during the Revolutionary War

Negotiated the Treaty of Paris at the end of the war

Passed the Land Ordinance of 1785 Passed the Northwest Ordinance of

1787

Weaknesses of Articles Government could not regulate trade

among the states/could not resolve trade disputes between states

Government could not enforce laws Government could not impose/collect

taxes No central leader or head of

government No central court system Congress was unicameral (one

house) Required all 13 states to approve

changes in Articles of Confederation

Articles of Confederation

Confederation- weak central government/strong individual states

Treaty of Friendship between states War Debt (again) After war-$42 million in war debts soldiers were due back pay/no money; given

land in Northwest Territory instead Taxes were high in most states/many couldn’t

pay their taxes/Mass. citizens rebelled against new government (Shay’s Rebellion)

Constitutional Convention

May 25, 1787 Philadelphia Representatives from all states

except Rhode Island

Abraham Baldwin & William Few/GA representatives

Came to revise Articles of Confederation

They had to create gov. that was strong enough to protect people’s rights AND ensure that the government did NOT have too much power

Framing the Constitution

1. George Washington was elected as president of the Convention

Must be secretive/windows nailed shut/members spoke minds

2. New government must be democratic republic republic- gov. in which people choose

representatives to govern for them democratic-republic reflects will of people

Constitution-Division of Power Congress to be bi-cameral (two

houses) House of Representatives- number

of votes based on states’ population Senate- each state has same number

of votes

LEGISLATIVE BRANCH- CONGRESS:: SENATE/ HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

May: override president’s veto refuse to approve treaty written by

president refuse to approve president’s

appointments remove a president from office/guilt of

wrongdoing overrule decisions of courts by

proposing constitutional amendments remove federal judge /guilty of

wrongdoing

EXECUTIVE BRANCH:PRESIDENT

Carries out the laws May:

pardon people convicted of federal crimes

appoint federal judges call special sessions of Congress veto laws passed by Congress

JUDICIAL BRANCH:: SUPREME COURT/ OTHER FEDERAL COURTS

May: declare president’s actions unconstitutional

declare laws unconstitutional

BILL OF RIGHTS believed it would protect all

Americans against power of government

one of first acts of new government was to pass Bill of Rights

Amendments 1-10::granted liberties and rights to Americans

Like Delaware and New Jersey, Georgia representatives unanimously voted 26 to 0 to ratify the constitution.

Of the four Georgian delegates who attended the Constitutional Convention, only two (Abraham Baldwin and William Few) signed the Constitution.