Western Land Claims Ceded by the States

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Western Land Claims Ceded by the States
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Northwest Ordinance The Confederations Major
Achievement

• Northwest Ordinance, 1787
• Created three to five new territories in
  Northwest
• Population of 50,000 may elect Assembly
• Population of 60,000 may petition for statehood
• Bill of Rights provided
• Slavery outlawed

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Northwest Territory
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Constitutional Reform

• May 1786Annapolis Convention agreed to meet
  again, write a new constitution
• Shays Rebellion, 1787
• Tax revolt of indebted veterans
• Symbolized breakdown in law and order as
  perceived by propertied classes
• Crisis strengthened support for new central
  government

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The Philadelphia Convention

• Convened May 1787
• Fifty-five delegates from all states except Rhode
  Island
• Delegates possessed wide practical experience
• Secrecy rule imposed

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Inventing a Federal Republic The Virginia Plan

• Central government may veto all state acts
• Bicameral legislature of state representatives
• One house elected, the other appointed
• Larger states would have more representatives
• Chief executive appointed by Congress
• Small states objected to large-state dominance

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Inventing a Federal Republic The New Jersey Plan

• Congress given greater taxing and trade
  regulation powers
• Each state would have one vote in a unicameral
  legislature
• Articles of Confederation otherwise untouched

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Compromise Saves the Convention

• Plan proposed by Connecticut
• Each state given two delegates in the Senatea
  victory for the small states
• House of Representatives based on populationa
  victory for the large states
• Three-fifths Compromise Three-fifths of the
  slave population counted toward representation in
  the House

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Compromising with Slavery

• Issue of slavery threatened Conventions unity
• Northerners tended to be opposed
• Southerners threatened to bolt if slavery
  weakened
• Slave trade permitted to continue to 1808
• Great as the evil is, a dismemberment of the
  Union would be worse. James Madison

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The Last Details

• July 26Committee of Detail formed to prepare
  rough draft
• Revisions to executive
• Electoral College selects president
• Executive given a veto over legislation
• Executive may appoint judges
• Decision that Bill of Rights unnecessary

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Federalists

• Supported the Constitution
• Well-organized
• The Federalist Papers

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Anti-Federalists

• Opposed to the Constitution
• Distrusted any government removed from direct
  control of the people
• Suspected the new Constitution favored the rich
  and powerful

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Progress of Ratification

• 9 out of 13 needed for ratification
• Succeeded in winning ratification in eleven
  states by June 1788
• North Carolina ratified November 1789
• Rhode Island ratified May 1790

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Adding the Bill of Rights

• Purpose was to protect individual rights from
  government interference
• Rights included
• Freedom of assembly, speech, religion, the
  press, and bearing arms
• Speedy trial by a jury of peers
• No unreasonable searches
• First ten amendments added by December 1791