Transcript Section 1 Lecture - Marion County Public Schools

Chapter Five
U.S. History
Mr. Kissam
The Big Idea
The Articles of Confederation provided a framework for a
national government.
Main Ideas
• The American people examined many ideas about
government.
• The Articles of Confederation laid the base for the first
national government of the United States.
• The Confederation Congress established the Northwest
Territory.
 After the war, Britain still did not really recognize or
respect the new “United States” and kept most of their
troops in America despite the “Treaty of Paris” (felt
they were weak and would eventually fall).
 The Americans declared their independence in
1776 and now must form a new government.
 The American people examined many
ideas about government.
 One source of inspiration was the rule of law,
which limits even the power of government
officials, such as kings.
 English laws that limited the power of the king were
the Magna Carta and the English Bill of Rights.
 The purpose of Magna Carta was to require British
royalty to obey the same laws as the British
people.
 Many Americans were influenced by the
Enlightenment.
 The Enlightenment was a philosophical movement
that emphasized the use of reason to examine old
ideas and traditions.
 Famous men of the Enlightenment were John Locke
and Baron de Montesquieu.
 John Locke believed a social contract existed between
political rulers and the people they ruled
 Montesquieu argued that liberty can only be achieved
by a separation of government powers.
 Early models of self-government were town meetings,
the Virginia House of Burgesses, and the Mayflower
Compact.
 Connecticut wrote the Fundamental Orders of
Connecticut, the English colonies first written
constitution.
 The constitution of each state limited government
and protected rights of citizens.
 The Massachusetts constitution of 1780 is the oldest
state constitution still in effect.
 All of the states
limited the power of
the governor (did
not want a single
ruler with too much
power)
 Most states also created a
“bicameral” government
(two houses) to split
power with the governors
(would be popularly
elected to keep the people
involved and actually have
MORE power than the
governor)
 Thomas Jefferson’s ideas on religious freedom were
written in the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom.
 Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom declared
that people could not be forced to attend a church
or pay taxes for a church.
 Many state constitutions provided suffrage, or the
right to vote, to most white men who paid taxes.
 Only landowners could run and hold public office.
 Most Americans wanted to have a “republic” (where
citizens elect representatives to speak for them), but
could not agree on how
 Many were reluctant to give too much power to the
U.S. government (really wanted 13 independent,
smaller nations who worked together)
 The Second Continental Congress passed the Articles
of Confederation on November 15, 1777, and sent them
to each state for ratification.
 The first national government of the United States was
established after the last state ratified the Articles in
March 1781.
 The Articles of Confederation
created a national government
with limited powers.
 Congress could settle conflicts
among states, make coins, borrow
money, ask states for money and
soldiers, and make treaties with
other nations.
 States had the power to refuse
requests.
 There was not a president or a
national court system.
 The problem was that it was like a paper tiger (no
power to do really anything the states did not want to
do).
 By 1790, over 120,000 settlers lived in the land west of
the Appalachian Mountains and wanted to join the
new U.S. (but Congress had no rules for the addition
of new lands)
 In the 1780’s, all the states (except Georgia) gave up
claims to these western lands to allow the new U.S.
government to deal with the land.
 Congress passed Land Ordinance
of 1785 to raise money to pay
debts.
 Ordinance provided for surveying
and dividing western lands.
 Land was split into townships.
 Each township was divided into lots
for sale to the public.
 One lot most have been reserved for a
public school and veterans.
 Congress passed Northwest Ordinance of 1787.
 Northwest Ordinance of 1787 established
Northwest Territory and developed an admission
for new states to join the Union
 Included what are now the states of Illinois, Indiana,
Michigan, Ohio, Minnesota, and Wisconsin
 The Northwest Territory would be divided into smaller
territories with a governor appointed by Congress.
 When the population of the territory reached 60,000
its settlers could draft their own constitution and join
the Union.
 The Northwest Ordinance required the provision
of public education and banned slavery
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
What documents did Americans look to when
creating a new government? (152-153)
Describe three key ideas that influenced US
governments? (152-153)
What was the ratification process for the Articles of
Confederation? (154)
What was the purpose of the Land Ordinance of
1785? (155)
What important rights did the Northwest Ordinance
of 1787 provide? (155)