articles of confederation Flashcards
republicanism in the 1770s
america was well suited to republicanism - by 1763, the colonial assemblies had substantial power and most white men could vote
thomas paine’s ‘common sense’ gave republicanism a wide currency in america
colonial politics had become even more democratic
once the allegiance to the crown was repudiated, republicanism became the only acceptable system of political value, providing philosophical underpinning and legitimacy for government and authority
popular sovereignty - political power should be held by the people
worried that the government was going to be tyrannical - like britain
elitists
men who led the assemblies
felt that while government should maintain liberty they must also preserve order and feared that too much democracy could generate unstable governments resulting in anarchy
sought to design republics in which the people could exercise their sovereignty by choosing the best people to govern and standing aside to let them do so
favoured:
- the franchise would be limited to property holders
- there would be high property qualifications for office holding
- the right to vote would be exercised relatively infrequently
- bicameral legislature
- governors would have wide powers
democrats
from humble backgrounds
favoured:
- a broad franchise
- no or low property qualifications for office holding
- frequent elections
- unicameral legislatures
- weak executive
the state constitutions
agreed that sovereignty resided with the people
concerned about the separation of powers - virginia was the first state to explicitly spell out the proposition that ‘the legislative, executive and judiciary departments shall be separate and distinct
usual provision was for a legislature consisting of 2 houses apart from pennsylvania and georgia. the lower house represented the people and the upper house represented gentlemen
original states required property ownership or payment of taxes to vote. however, property qualifications for voting were generally low. in most states over 2/3 of men over 21 had the right to vote
qualifications for office holding remained much the same as under colonial governments
every state except pennsylvania had a single executive head - the governor - who was usually chosen by the legislature. deep suspicion of executive authority resulted in governors being denied of the many power enjoyed by royal predecessors. 10 states set one year terms for governors.
bills of rights
power of legislatures was limited, first by the requirement to hold annual elections and second by the inclusion in most constitutions of declarations
the virginia declaration of rights (1776) provided the model
enumerated fundamental liberties - freedom of expression, worship and assembly, the subordination of military to civil power, the right to jury trial, protection against cruel and unusual punishments and guarantees against self incrimination against arrest without knowing one’s accuser
set out government powers and limits
elite vs new men
constitutions reflected 18th century belief that political rights should be confined to property holders
a man without property was not sufficiently independent to be trusted with political power
sometimes property holding was so high that it excluded all those apart from the extremely wealthy - south carolina and virginia
suffrage meant that nearly all states lowered property qualifiactions for voting - most state governments became more responsive to popular opinion
departure of loyalist office holders created space for new men - better representation
by 1783, the proportion of elitist men in legislatures had dropped from 46% to 22%
farmers constituted a majority of in some northern legislatures
cosmopolitans vs localists
primary divisions between cosmopolitans and localists
in the north, cosmopolitans came from commercial areas, in the south they compromised large property owners
lived along navigable rivers, had connections with towns and cities and had wide interests and experience and a broader outlook on than their fellow citizens
welcomed activist government and supported conservative monetary policies
localists were rural, owned small properties, lived in remote interior areas and had narrower intellectual, social and economic horizons
suspicious of government, banking and urban interests
politics of the states
each state controlled its own finances, trade and economic policy
critics claimed they were too democratic and not cinducive to a good government
some states had difficulty asserting authority throughout their territory- new york counties gloucester and cumberland formed themselves into vermont in 1777
war created problems - operations of both armies made civil administration impossible
financial problems - no chocie but to increase taxes
laws for confiscation of loyalist property
why did the articles take so long to ratify?
june 11, 1776 - continental congress resolved “that a committee be appointed to prepare and digest the form of a confederation to be entered into between these colonies.”
june 12, 1776 - committee members were appointed
july 12, 1776 - first draft of the articles of confederation was presented to the continental congress.
november 15, 1777 - continental congress adopted the articles of confederation.
november 17, 1777 - articles were submitted to the states with a request for immediate action.
june 25, 1778 - committee of three was appointed to prepare the form of a ratification of the articles
june 26, 1778 - articles were ordered to be finalised.
june 27, 1778 - the first copy was found to be incorrect, and a second copy was ordered.
july 9, 1778 - second copy was signed and ratified by the delegates from eight states: new hampshire, massachusetts, rhode island, connecticut, new york, pennsylvania, virginia, and south
carolina.
july 21, 1778 - north carolina delegates signed the ratification of the articles
july 24, 1778 - georgia delegates signed the ratification of the articles
november 26, 1778 - new jersey delegates signed the ratification
may 5, 1779 - delaware delegates signed the ratification
march 1, 1781 - maryland delegates signed the ratification of the articles. were finally ratified by all thirteen states.
south carolina and pennsylvania constitutions
south carolina - 1778
- created new rules at the opposite end of the spectrum from pennsylvania
- white men had to possess a significant amount of property to be allowed to vote and own even more to be allowed to run for political office - 90% of all white adults prevented
pennsylvania - 1776
- abolished property requirements for voting as well as holding office
- if you were a white man who paid taxes you could run for office and vote
- office of the governore eliminated
- unicameral
power of congress
declare war
raise an army in wartime
request money from states to fund it
settle boundary disputes between states
set weights and measures standards
run a post office
power of the states
making laws- no national judiciary
raising taxes
regulating trade
settle western land claims
can raise militia in peace time
impose duties on other states goods
what problems did the government have?
couldn’t raise taxes
congress was virtually bankrupt
articles faced a problematic future
- confederation was established by the states not the people and was no element of direct popular election
- peace diminished one of the most powerful imperatives to britain
scared of tyranny
states more likely to view each other as enemies
each state gets 1 vote in congress
hamilton
george washington
‘feeble and precarious’
’ a limping half starved animal’
aim
a political system which would allow the usa to win war - yes
ensure popular sovereignty - partial
limit the powers of the central government - yes
create unity between the states - partial
outline the roles of congress and the states
