Americas 1 st Constitution 1781 1789 The Articles

America’s 1 st Constitution 1781 -1789 The Articles of Confederation The first system of government designed by the Founding Fathers was a Confederation. Under a Confederate system, the National or Central Government is given only a few powers, while most of the power is reserved for the States.

1. Why did the Founding Fathers Choose a Confederation plan of government? A. They were afraid of giving the central government too much power B. They wanted to keep the states separate from each other C. They did not trust George Washington

America’s 1 st Constitution 1781 -1789 The Articles of Confederation The Articles had 2 major achievements: 1)Bringing the Revolutionary War to a successful conclusion 2) Northwest Ordinance (plan for organizing and settline the western lands)

The new country under the Articles of Confederation had troubles: • an empty treasury • crushing war debt • depression • economic crisis 4

What happened next? ? End to the Articles • Central government proved to be to weak. • How did a Massachusetts farmer help create a new government? (1786 -1787)

• You are going to be looking at 2 pictures in a few seconds? See if you can figure out what is going on in the pictures. Look at the picture closely. • Describe the people, objects, where the event is happening, and what is happening. (Who, what, where, and objects)

Background Soldiers of the Colonial Army had been promised back pay and pensions. However, there was no money to pay them for their service. Upon release from the army, soldiers were -- • allowed to keep uniforms and their musket, • issued one month’s pay • awarded worthless government certificates. 8

Background There was resentment & distrust brewing in Massachusetts: • Representatives from western parts of the state could not attend their convention because of bad weather. • The State Convention raised the property requirements for voting • This excluded many former soldiers who had fought for the country’s freedom. 9

Massachusetts wanted to pay back war debt in three years by raising property taxes while trade merchants saw little or no change in their taxes. Unpaid taxes led to debtors’ court and seized property. Meanwhile, judges, lawyers, and merchants made money from the auctioned property. 10

Groups of farmers and former soldiers met in Conkey’s Tavern and shared their frustrations … Did they remember the words of the Declaration of Independence that they had fought for? “ ----That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed –--That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or abolish it, and to institute new Government…” 11

Shays’ Rebellion § Farmers are required to pay debts in gold § They have no money because they were not paid during the war § Farmers were taken into court, then to jail, and their land was taken away from them because they were in debt. § Wealthy lawmakers invested their money in the war too. And seek to get money from the farmers debts

Daniel Shays 1. Retired Army Captain in the Revolutionary War 2. Farmer in Massachusetts 3. Could not pay his debts 4. O. G. 5. Don’t play 6. Shays rallied and organized rebels into the actions in the fall of 1786

Shays Rebellion • Poor farmers are not represented in the Mass legislature • Cannot pass debt relief laws • In 1786, an armed revolt by farmers against the state government took place.

Shays Rebellion • The rebellion, led by Daniel Shays will… 1. Free debtors from prisons 2. Destroy courts that are hearing cases against farmers 3. Destroy records of debts

The Climax Shays and his followers try to take over a federal arsenal to get more guns so that they could fight the army. The Congress can't help Since the Articles of Confederation did not give Congress the power to raise a standing army, the federal government could not help stop the rebellion.

Problems under Confederated Government ü Both Congress and Massachusetts was unable to pay for a militia to stop the rebellion – ü privately paid forces had to do the job. ü All this fueled the dissatisfaction with the Articles of Confederation.

• Some Regulators were hanged, others were pardoned. • Shays lived in Vermont until he was pardoned two years after the rebellion. • He moved back to Massachusetts where he lived in poverty. • Shays finally received his pension at the age of 77; • He died at age 78. 19

Impact of shays’ rebellion George Washington Said What? ? “What a triumph for our enemies… to find we are incapable of governing ourselves” George Washington thought it “not probable that the mischiefs will terminate. ” He thought “… when this spirit first dawned, probably it might easily have been checked; but it is scarcely within the reach of human ken, at this moment, to say when, or where, or how it will end. ” 20

Samuel Adams Said What? ! • “Rebellion against a king may be pardoned, or lightly punished, but the man who dares to rebel against the laws of a republic ought to suffer death” • Adams will also write a law called the Riot Act, which prohibits 12 people or more from meeting and gives the government the power to shoot rioters! • Samuel sure has changed since 1776! ; )

Thomas Jefferson Said What? ! • "A little rebellion now and then is a good thing. It is a medicine necessary for the sound health of government. God forbid that we should ever be twenty years without such a rebellion. " “What signify a few lives lost in a century or two? The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants. It is it's natural manure. Our Convention has been too much impressed by the insurrection of Massachusetts: ”

Results of Shays’ Rebellion The Event that Almost Destroyed a New Nation • Shays’ Rebellion showed the leaders of America that the Articles of Confederation were too weak, and a stronger national government was needed. • A Constitutional Convention was called to solve the problem. • Shays’ Rebellion will prompt national leaders to create a stronger central government

Convention • Called to discuss how to revise the Articles of Confederation to avoid another revolution – States were in debt – Shay’s Rebellion – Interstate commerce a mess – Foreign trade problems

Constitutional Convention called • Annapolis Conference • Annapolis, Maryland- 1786 • 12 representatives from 5 states showed up for this convention. • Cancelled

Constitutional Convention called • Constitutional Convention • Philadelphia, Pennsylvania • May 28 th, 1787 • 55 Delegates from 12 of the 13 states showed up.

The Constitution Is Born! • After 16 weeks of arguments in Philadelphia, the new Constitution was created. • And that's the government that we still have today! We will talk about this next unit!

Complete Failures Debt 1. Inability to pay off the astronomical war debt 2. Hurt our ability to borrow money internationally 3. Overall slump in the national economy Authority 1. Could not put down Shay’s Rebellion quickly 2. Had no national court system 3. Had no executive branch to enforce the laws