From Confederation to Federal Union

1
From Confederation to Federal Union

• Chapter 5
• SSUSH5 The student will explain specific events
  and key ideas that brought about the adoption and
  implementation of the United States Constitution.
  
• Section one
• Essential Question What was the form of
  government after the revolution?

2
John Locke

• English philosopher who developed the theory of
  natural rights
• Believed that all people were born with the
  rights of life, liberty, and property.

3
Plan for Confederation

• The Articles of Confederation were adopted during
  the Revolutionary War (November 15, 1777)
• This form of government gave power to the
  individual states and little to the central
  government

4
Northwest Ordinance of 1787

• Act that established a system for governing the
  Northwest territory
• This act led to an eventual dividing of this area
  into states
• Such states are Illinois, Indian, Michigan, Ohio,
  and Wisconsin.

5
Northwest Territory
6
Weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation

• Changes to the Articles of Confederation took all
  13 states consent
• The central government had no money to pay off
  war debts. States had their own taxes, but would
  not give any funding to the federal government.
• There was no ability to raise a federal army
• Most states had their own militias
• Federal government printed money that was not
  backed by gold or silver which caused a depression

7
Weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation

• Shays Rebellion-
• Massachusetts farmers could not pay the state tax
  on their property. Farmers were losing their
  property to auctions.
• Daniel Shay led many farmers to the federal
  arsenal in Massachusetts and were finally stopped
  short of the arsenal by the Massachusetts militia.

8
Shays Rebellion
9
Weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation

• Shays Rebellion raised doubts about the central
  government's ability to deal with civil unrest
• The period from 1777 to 1787 (nine years) was
  known as the Critical Period" because the United
  States was very vulnerable at this time.