Governing the Land -- Articles of Confederation to the Constitution

Lecture slides from the Articles of Confederation to the ratification of the Constitution, including Shays' Rebellion, the Constitutional Convention, constitutional compromises, the origins of slavery (leading into the 3/5 Compromise) and ratification debates.

1. Governing the Land Humanities 11 10/7/25

2. 1776 Declaration of Independence signed The Constitution goes into effect 1789 What was the supreme law of the land during this period? THE ARTICLES OF CONFEDERATION

3. The Articles of Confederation After declaring independence, the US needed an official constitution Many states had their own written constitutions at this point Created committee of one representative per state John Dickinson writes most of the Articles Completed November 15, 1777

4. What is a “CONFEDERATION”?

5. “Article 1st: His Brittanic Majesty acknowledges the said United States, viz., New Hampshire, Massachusetts Bay, Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia, to be free sovereign and Independent States ; that he treats with them as such, and for himself his Heirs & Successors, relinquishes all claims to the Government, Propriety, and Territorial Rights of the same and every Part thereof.” Treaty of Paris, 1783

6. “Article II. Each state retains its sovereignty, freedom, and independence , and every Power, Jurisdiction, and right, which is not by this confederation expressly delegated to the United States, in Congress assembled. The Articles of Confederation

7. Federalism interlude Federalism: Power is SHARED between two levels of government

8. Federalism according to the Articles of Confederation State Governments Federal Govern- ment Article III. The said States hereby severally enter into a firm league of friendship with each other, for their common defense, the security of their liberties, and their mutual and general welfare, binding themselves to assist each other…

9. Reading the Articles of Confederation How are states represented? How much consent is needed for the federal government to take action? In the margins, note powers each government is assigned – STATES on the LEFT, and FEDERAL on the RIGHT

10. Reading the Articles of Confederation Who can: Levy taxes? Build an army? Settle differences between states? Is there: A president? A federal court system? A uniform currency between states?

11. Reading the Articles of Confederation What if… A foreign navy starts attacking Rhode Island merchant ships, and they don’t have soldiers to stop them? One state wants to make a treaty with France, while another one wants to make a treaty with Britain? A businessman from New York goes to South Carolina on tour, but realizes he only has New York money? The government needs to pay its soldiers, but all the states are broke too?

12. Why make a government this way? The government the Articles established was VERY WEAK

13. Evaluating the Articles of Confederation W L Everything else Winning the war Northwest Ordinances Set rules for territories becoming new states No slavery in these territories

14. The Post-War Situation (After 1783) Economic troubles No real money; printed paper money becomes worthless British flooding markets with cheap goods Britain not moving out of America like they said they would States increase taxes more to ease debts Ex-soldiers have no money to pay off creditors Trouble is brewing…

15. Treaty of Paris

16. Shays’ Rebellion, August 1786 – February 1787 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YOR9O9mUObE

17. “ Malo periculosam , libertatem quam quietam servitutem . Even this evil is productive of good. It prevents the degeneracy of government, and nourishes a general attention to the public affairs. I hold it that a little rebellion now and then is a good thing , and as necessary in the political world as storms in the physical.” Thomas Jefferson, Letter to James Madison, 1787

18. “We have errors to correct; we have probably had too good an opinion of human nature in forming our confederation. Experience has taught us, that men will not adopt and carry into execution measures the best calculated for their own good, without the intervention of a coercive power . I do not conceive we can exist long as a nation without having lodged some where a power, which will pervade the whole Union in as energetic a manner, as the authority of the State governments extends over the several states.” George Washington, Letter to John Jay, 1786  We need MORE GOVERNMENT

19. The Constitutional Convention, 1787 Scene at the Signing of the Constitution of the United States , Howard Chandler Christy, 1940 George Washington Ben Franklin Alexander Hamilton Gouverneur Morris James Madison

20. GOAL: “To revise the Articles of Confederation”

21. GOAL: “To revise the Articles of Confederation” To create a brand new, more truly national form of government: the Constitution! Kobe

22. The Story of the Constitution, in Three Compromises NORTH SOUTH New Jersey Virginia 1. 2. 3. Federalists Antifederalists

23. REPRESENTATION? New Jersey Virginia

24. Madison’s “Virginia Plan” Three branches of government Two-house ( bicameral ) legislature States represented in both houses according to population

25. William Paterson’s “New Jersey Plan” Three branches of government One-house ( unicameral ) legislature Each state gets one vote

26. VS. I’m back.

27. The Great Compromise Two-house legislature Upper house gets two per state Lower house elected by population Representation method Term length Senate 2 per state 6 years House of Representatives By population 2 years AKA The Connecticut Compromise

28. The Story of the Constitution, in Three Compromises NORTH SOUTH New Jersey Virginia 1. 2. 3. Federalists Antifederalists

29. “How is it that we hear the loudest yelps for liberty among the drivers of Negroes?” - Samuel Johnson, English man of letters How did America get to this point with slavery? ... And how will it affect the founding of our nation?

30. The Columbian Exchange  The Atlantic Slave Trade 1619: First African slaves arrive in Jamestown

31. Why does slavery take root in the colonies? This requires LABOR, particularly in the South At first, indentured servitude is the norm Cheaper labor of slavery eventually replaces indentured servitude

32. American Slavery Facts Slavery was legal in ALL colonies at the time of the Revolution, not just the South Many colonies had slave codes which legally rendered African slaves chattel (property) By 1750, 1/2 of Virginia and 2/3 of South Carolina were enslaved Many Founding Fathers, including George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, owned slaves Often with much internal dispute

33. Phyllis Wheatley (1753-1784) Child prodigy, famous poet – and slave Born in Africa, captured by slavers, and brought to Boston, where she was educated by her owner’s wife, Susannah Wheatley Taken care of well, but still kept in a servant’s place Important voice of early American slavery – exemplified black capabilities, inspired abolitionists, and just wrote good poetry

34. How should SLAVES be represented?

35. The Three-Fifth’s Compromise In the end, the convention compromises to count slaves as 3/5 of a person for taxation and representation purposes. This is about representation , not slavery per se. The moral issue of slavery is not much debated, and the Constitution never explicitly mentions slavery. Transatlantic slave trade is permitted to continue another 20 years, until 1808.

36. SIGNED September 17, 1787 I doubt too whether any other Convention we can obtain, may be able to make a better Constitution… It therefore astonishes me, Sir, to find this System approaching so near to Perfection as it does.

37. TO RATIFY: 9/13 states must approve FEDERALISTS ANTIFEDERALISTS

38. “’Tis really astonishing that the same people who have just emerged from a long and cruel war in defense of liberty, should agree to fix an elective despotism upon themselves and posterity. - Richard Henry Lee Constitution = TYRANNY? The Antifederalists

39. - Publius NO – Constitution is GOOD The Federalists

40. The Federalist-Antifederalist Compromise Federalists say they will add a Bill of Rights immediately if the Antifederalists agree to ratify the Constitution The Antifederalist Legacy

41. June 21, 1788: New Hampshire becomes the ninth state to ratify; Virginia and New York soon follow March 4, 1789: The Constitution goes into effect!