Vocabulary
Confederation
A group of people/nations that form an alliance working together for a common cause
Why was the US originally designed as a confederation?
They did not want a powerful central government (like Britain did to them)
Why did the Constitutional Convention meet in 1787?
Articles were weak; Needed to figure out how America was going to be governed
3/5 Compromise
Southern states would have only have slaves count as 3/5 of a person when counting total state population
Northwest Ordinance
1. Created government for NW Territory
2. Created method to add new states to union
3. Listed Bill of Rights guaranteed to territory
Why didn’t Rhode Island send a delegate to the Convention?
They didn’t have a problem with the Articles, and didn’t want anything changed
Compromises made at Constitutional Convention
1. Great Compromise
2. 3/5 Compromise
3. Commerce Compromise - controlled import/export taxes, and slave trade
4. Slave Trade Compromise - Congress was given some commerce powers, but couldn’t control slave trade for 20 years (until 1808)
5. Election of the President would be done via the Electoral College
Why was the Northwest Ordinance important?
It set a precedent for how new states could become part of the union.
Virginia Plan
States be represented in government based on each state’s population
Federalists
1. Led by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay
2. US needs a large national government
3. Preserve sovereignty and structure of the states (federal and state government powers would be kept separate)
4. Popular Sovereignty - people control how government is running
Weaknesses of Articles of Confederation
1. Each state only had ONE vote in Congress, regardless of size
2. Congress did not have power to tax
3. Congress could not regulate foreign and interstate commerce (trade)
4. No executive branch to enforce acts created by Congress
5. No court system or judicial branch
New Jersey Plan
Each state should have the same number of representatives.
Anti-Federalists
1. Against expansion of national power
2. Favored small, localized governments with limited national authority
3. Strengthen the Bill of Rights
Shay’s Rebellion
Uprising in Massachusetts by Daniel Shays and other farmers to protest unfair taxes and laws put on them by the government.
It showed the Articles were weak because the government was unable to stop the rebellion without the assistance of the militia.
Great Compromise
The Senate would be equally represented by each state.
The House of Representatives would be represented based on population of each state.