Confederation Government
borrowed money from
states and private citizens
to fund the Revolutionary
War
the US was no longer a
part of the British
Empire
no trade, no
access to
New Orleans
Massachusetts farmers
rebelled, demanding tax
relief and no more
imprisonment for debt
Shays' Rebellion
forced Congress to
finally meet and
discuss changes in
1787
no money to
repay those
debts
Weak Foreign Relations
British were not
obeying the Treaty of
Paris
United States could not
enforce the Treaty of
Paris
British refused to
remove their
soldiers from British
forts in the US after
the war ended
Weak Military
the Barbary
Coast pirates
were taking US
ships and sacking
them
demanded a toll
in exchange for
passage
US had no
money or
warships
Governing New Territories
120,000 people moved
West by 1790 into
territories with no
government or system
wanted
protection, courts,
access to markets
Land Ordinance of 1785 -
land survey and sale into
townships of 36 square
miles for national
government income
became a
model for the
future
Northwest Ordinance of
1787 - turning territories
into states over three
stages
1) a territory with
a governor and
three judges
appointed by
Congress
2) when the
population
reached 5,000 free
males, it could
elect a territorial
legislature
3) when the population
reached 60,000 free males, it
could submit a constitution
and be granted equal power
to the original 13 states
Result: Creating the Constitution
Alexander Hamilton and James
Madison called for a convention,
which was ignored until Shays'
Rebellion
May 1787 - a
balanced
government was
proposed
listed powers, not left
up to Congress; two
houses (Senate and
House of
Representatives);
three branches
(legislative,
executive, judicial);
more powers, but
limited
approved on September 17, 1787
Delaware, New Jersey,
Pennsylvania, Georgia,
Connecticut, Massachusetts,
Maryland, South Carolina, and
New Hampshire made the 9 votes
New York was convinced by the Federalist
Papers, followed by Virginia - Rhode Island
and North Carolina did not ratify until after
the first election
George Washington is President,
John Adams is Vice President, the
Bill of Rights is written