The Articles of Confederation Flashcards
what kind of legislature did most states establish
a two-house, or bicameral legislature
what is a constitution?
plan of government.
what did each state do and what were they afraid of
they made their own constitution, but they were hesitant to give too much power to one person, so they had provisions to limit the power of their governors
who voted for the legislature and how
whites, sometimes free african amricans
the legislature was chosen frequently from popular votes
what is a republic?
a government where citizens rule through elected officials
what were the “terms” of the national government?
could only be used in war or relations with other countries
went with the Articles of Confederation
first constitution
each state had freedom, independance, and soverignty
congress could borrow $ from states or other countries
what was their weaknesses
no provision for trade, taxes, or the draft
no chief executive
everything worked through continental committees
each state had 1 vote, regardless of population
why did the confederation government fail
not strong enough to del with issues
no laws could be passed unless 9out of 13approved
any change required all 13 approval
gained independence and foreign trade
what were the new land policies?
articles had no provision for adding states so Congress divided them into self-governing districts
what was the Ordinance of 1785
this divided the massive territory into townships and then townships were divided into smaller sections and sold @ an auction
what was the North West Ordinance
freedom of religion trial by jury No slavery or involuntary servitude emphasis on schooling new states had the same rights as old states first attempt to stop slavery
what does depreciated mean
fell in value
Congress and states printed their own money but no ____ or ____ to back it
No gold or silver to back it
Country was in debt to _______ & other ________
Citizens and other countries
Who formed the department of finance?
Robert Morris, a merchant
Robert Morris proposed a ______% tax on imported goods to help pay off debt
5% tax
Required a change….12 agreed but what state disagreed?
Rhode Island
__________ troops were still in the Great Lakes region
British troops
What were the british problems during this time?
- troops were still in the great lakes region
- they were keeping our merchants away from good trading markets
- John Adams met w/King George III
- He accused America or no upholding their end of the deal
- Congress needed to pay Loyalists back
What were the Spanish problems during this time?
- Wanted America to stop expanding West
- Closed lower portion f Mississippi to Americans
- Solution could not be found
-What is Shay’s Rebellion
- Farmers suffering-land sized and put in jail
- Shays united them and led a rebellion
- Mitia? fired and 4 were killed and the rest scattered
What was going on with Slavery during this time?
- 11 states outlawed or heavily taxed the importation of slaves
- SC and Georgia did nothing
- NE states passed laws that gradually ended slavery
- Still discrimination: -barred from public places, separate schools, few states gave them the right to vote, separate churches
What is Manumission?
the freeing of individual slaves
Virginia passed a law
What was the constitutional convention?
- lots of arguing about AOC
- Alexander Hamilton and James Madison were 2 leaders for the changes
- 55 delegates met from May to Fall
- James Madison made a basic outline of our modern day constitution
- Called “the father of our constitution”
What was the Virginia Plan?
- created by Madison & Edmund Randolph
- 2 house legislature (lower hse-voted by people, Upper hse-voted by lower hse, # of reps would be proportional to populations)
- a chief executive (chosen by legislature)
- a court system
- this plan throws out Articles
What was the New Jersey Plan?
- created by William Patterson
- 1 house legislature
- each state gets 1 vote
- congress could now set taxes and trade
- it elects a weak executive branch made up of many
- this plan amends the Articles
What was the Great Compromise?
- a 2 house legislature-congress
- w/house of representatives based on population 2 per state
- directly elect house of res
- AKA Connecticut plan
What was the Slave Compromise?
-South: yes
-North-no
Every 5 slaves = 3 free men (3/5 compromise)
Slave compromises
Banning slave trade?
No south delayed it until 1808
Describe the Bill of Rights
- proposed by George Mason
- proposal was defeated (refused to sign it)
- Delegate signed new constitution & sent out to the states for voting
- 9/13 needed to approve for it to pass
Constitution = a document of compromises?
combined 2 plans - see chart in book
A new constitution with old ideas
- a new plan of government
- delegates looked back in history @ other nation’s political ideals and ideas
- Started w/ Greece
What was the Greek & Roman influence?
- Greece was the cradle of democracy
- Our founding fathers tweaked the idea of democracy & made a representative democracy
- the romans used a republic
- based our system on the model of a republic (people are represented through reps
- we are a constitutional democracy
European Influences
What did the Magna Carta do?
Placed limits on the Monarch
European Influences
What about Parliament
Monarch depended on it for payment of wars and funding
European Influences
What did the English Bill of Rights do?
This will come to inspire the creation of the Bill of Rights
European Influences
What did John Locke say?
- All people have natural rights (life, liberty, property)
- Gov is an agreement between itself and the people (social contract)
- Gov protects rights
European Influences
What did Montesquieu say?
- Powers of Gov separated and balanced against one another
- Allows no single person or branch to become too powerful (checks & balances)
What is the Federal System?
- Power is divided between the national (federal) and the states
- Articles-states had all the power
- Constitution-State+Gov share the power
What does the National Gov do on it’s own?
- regulate foreign & interstate commerce
- make coin money
- declare wars
- provide army & navy
What do the Nat & State Gov do together?
- levy taxes
- borrow money
- spend for general welfare
- enforce laws
- establish courts
What does the State Gov do on it’s own?
- regulate intrastate commerce
- establish local gov. system
- administer elections
- protect health & welfare
What does the Federal Gov do?
- Federalism-the sharing of powers between the state & fed govmt
- One of the distinct features
- Congress could make new laws if needed
What does the State Gov do?
See chart in book!!!
What is another name for the Supreme Law of the Land?
the Constitution
- no state can make any law that goes against the constitution
- any disagreement was answered by the constitution
What do the 3 branches: Legislative do?
- make the laws
- Congress=Legislative Branch
- Congress is bicameral with the senate & the house of Reps
- Senate has equal rep (2) & the house of Reps is based upon the state’s population
- Can collect taxes, coin money, regulate trade, declare war, raise armies & make laws
What is the responsibility of the Executive Branch?
- To carry out the law
- it is led by the President
What is the President’s responsibility?
- carries out Nation’s laws
- serves as commander in chief
- conducts relations w/ foreign countres
How is the President elected?
- by Electoral College
- Voters select electors to cast their votes for President & VP
- President & VP serve 4 year terms
Who all make up the Executive Branch?
- Cabinet
- President
- VP
What do you know about the Judicial Branch?
- interprets the law
- the Supreme Court & any other courts established by Congress
- this court hears cases that deal w/ the constitution, laws passed by Congress & disputes between the states
What does Checks & Balances mean?
Each branch of the government has ways to limit other branches of Government
How can the Legislative limit Executive
- can override a President’s Veto
- may impeach & remove President from office
- senate may refuse to confirm Presidential appointments
- Senate may refuse to ratify treaties
How can the Executive Branch limit the Legislative Branch?
- the President may veto bills
- President may call special sessions of Congress
- Pres may recommend legislation
- Pres appoints supreme court & other federal judges
- may grant reprieves & pardons to federal offenders
What was “the Argument”?
- Federalists feared disorder & ineffectiveness
- Anti-Federalists feared the gov would trample the rights of it’s citizens
- Agreement-A bill of rights would be included in the form of an amendment (something added to the document)
- By 1790 the Constitution was the new form of gov, still is to this day!
What do you know about the passing of the Constitution?
- Constitution passed but 9 out of 13 had to ratify it
- Politicians-publicize their own view on the Constitution
What are Federalists?
- Supporters of the Constitution
- Washington, Franklin, Jay, Hamilton & Madison were for it
- W, F, J, H & M wrote Federalist Papers which highlighted pros of the Constitution - around the country
What are Anti-Federalists?
- Those who opposed the Constitution
- Feared that a strong national gov would take away from the rights
- also feared the gov would favor the rich over the common people
