United States History Chapter 7, Lesson 2

United States History Chapter 7, Lesson 2

A Demand For Change

Review from Tuesday

• The very first government in the United States was based around the Articles of Confederation

• The Articles of Confederation got the United States through the Revolutionary War with Great Britain, and allowed for settlement in the Northwest Territory

• It was extremely flawed, however, and left Congress with almost no power over the colonies

A Demand For Change

• Not everyone agreed with the Articles of Confederation

• Many people wanted a stronger government

• They could not protect themselves from unfair laws passed by other countries

• Constant disputes among the states only increased the difficulties

Why Was the Annapolis Convention Held?

• Maryland and Virginia were having a dispute over commercial rights on the Potomac River

• Delegates from these two states met at George Washington's home in Mount Vernon

• These delegates met to work out many of the problems

• 
  

The Annapolis Convention

• Due to the success of the Mount Vernon Conference, James Madison proposed having another convention in 1786

• Delegates from all the states would be invited

• However, the Annapolis Convention was not successful because only five states sent delegates

The Annapolis Convention

• Even Maryland, the host state, did not send a representative

• Alexander Hamilton of New York proposed a convention for 1787

• The main business would be forming a stronger government

Multiple Choice

Why was the Annapolis Convention not successful?

• Only 5 states showed up

• Nobody knew what they were doing

• The speakers weren't very good

What Was Shay's Rebellion?

• Any doubt about the need for a strong central government ended after a rebellion against the government of Massachussetts in the winter of 1786

• Farmers were upset by low farm prices and high state taxes

• Many farmers were afraid they would lose their farms

Shay's Rebellion

• They gathered under former army captain Daniel Shays

• Shay's Rebellion closed courthouses and almost captured a storehouse of weapons

• The group grew to include over 2,000 farmers

• The rebellion lasted for several months

The Constitutional Convention

• The Articles of Confederation had succeeded in doing some things well

• It had led the Americans through the war

• It kept everybody together, and allowed for the peaceful settlement of the lands to the west

• Despite this, there was a need for a stronger central government than what they had

The Constitutional Convention

• The delegates met in 1787 in Philadelphia

• All states except for Rhode Island were represented at the meeting

• The meeting was called the Constitutional Convention

• 55 of the most respected Americans were present

Open Ended

Before I list them off, try and name as many founding fathers as you can!

The Constitutional Convention

• Among those people were George Washington, James Madison, Edmund Randolph, John Dickenson, Ben Franklin, Alexander Hamilton, and William Paterson

• Most of the delegates were lawyers, and a couple were farmers or merchants

• These men became known as the Founding Fathers of the US

The Constitutional Convention

• At the start of the convention, it was decided that all the sessions were to be held in secret

• The delegates wanted to be able to debate freely

• The delegates decided that their heated debates should not be shared with the public

Poll

Who do you think the delegates chose to lead the convention?

• John Adams

• Ben Franklin

• George Franklin

• Thomas Jefferson

• Abraham Lincoln

The Constitutional Convention

• The delegates chose George Washington to lead the convention

• He was recognized as an intelligent, well-educated person and a great military leader

• The delegates also greatly respected him

• George Washington was known to be a strong leader, which is exactly what they needed

In the next lesson, we are going to talk about what happened at the Constitutional Convention!