(In-Class Lesson) Early Struggles of the United States

Early Struggles of the United States

​The Articles of Confederation & Shays' Rebellion

The act of declaring independence meant that the separate colonies would support each other in their effort to break from Great Britain. It did not mean they were ready to give up their own self-governance.

What did independence mean?

​That these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent States….

… Rather they intended to cooperate with each other as a, “firm league of friendship.”

1. When the colonies won their indepence, the most familiar and trusted governments were the colonial governments they had always known.

2. It wasn't obvious that a national government was necessary. Any issues facing all the states could be handled by Congress.

What did independence mean?

A National Government with Limited Power

After the war, most Americans saw no reason to expand Congress's responsibility. They adopted the Articles of Confederation, a governing document that gave Congress (now the Confederation Congress) the powers it needed to organize the war against Great Britain.

The Articles of Confederation

A National Government with Limited Power

• Collect taxes.

• Create and enforce state laws.

• Regulate trade.

• Raise state militia.

State Governments

Confederation Congress

• Conduct foreign affairs.

• Declare war and peace.

• Establish a postal system.

Categorize

Options (7)

Raise a militia.

Create and enforce laws.

Regulate trade.

Collect taxes.

Declare war.

Establish a postal system.

Conduct foreign affairs.

Under the Articles of Confederation, governing powers were divided between state goverments and the national government. Sort the following powers into the correct column.

State Goverments

Confederation Congress

In 1785, Congress passed it's first law regulating the Northwest Territory. The Northwest Ordinances of 1785 and 1787 declared that...

The Northwest Territory

1. the territory would be governed by Congress, and

2. that new states would eventually be created out of the territory.

• Divided into five smaller territories.

Land Ordinance of 1785

• Land surveyers set about organizing the territories into 36 square mile sections called townships.

• Each governor was given the authority to adopt and enforce laws that they saw fit.

• Once a territory reached 5,ooo they could elect their own government.

The Northwest Territory

The Northwest Ordinance of 1787

• The new government had to draft a state constitution, which had to be approved by a vote of the people.

• Each territory could apply to become a state once they reached 60,000.

• Must enforce property rights and protect religious freedom.

Congressional Laws

• Slavery was banned in all new states north of the Ohio River.

• Mandatory!!!

Dropdown

The Northwest Territory was divided into ​

Select answer

smaller territories - Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan and Wisconsin, and a ​

Select answer

was appointed for each. Land surveyers set about organizing the territories into ​

Select answer

square mile sections called ​

Select answer

. Without any ​

Select answer

laws to enforce, each was given the authority to adopt and enforce laws that they saw fit.

Labeling

Select the correct label for the map.

Drag labels to their correct position on the image

The Mid-West Territory

The Western Territory

The Northwest Territory

Labeling

Select the correct label for the map.

Drag labels to their correct position on the image

The Ohio River

The Mason-Dixon Line

Labeling

Select the correct label for the map.

Drag labels to their correct position on the image

Free States

Slave States

• (1786–1787) An armed uprising of Massachusetts farmers.

• Led by Daniel Shays, a former Continental Army captain who faced debt and the threat of losing his farm.

• Shut down state courthouses to stop foreclosures.
  

Shays Rebellion

• In January 1787, about 1,200 rebels marched on the federal arsenal in Springfield.

• The rebellion collapsed after the Massachusetts militia dispersed the insurgents.

• Most rebels were pardoned, including Shays.

Shays Rebellion

While the rebellion failed, many Americans were sympathetic to the farmers' plight, and it prompted Congress to meet again in 1787 to work toward fixing some of the obvious weaknesses in the Articles of Confederation.

Shays Rebellion

Open Ended

What would you do to fix the Articles of Confederation?