Articles of Confederation/Constitutional Convention
Structure of the Articles of Confederation
equal voting, unicameral legislature, one state one vote, everyone had to agree to change
Problems Facing the Us after the Revolution
$52 Million in debt, couldn't enforce treaty; not enough military, couldn't pay soldiers (40 million debt was too soldiers)
How many states had to vote against a law to stop it from being passed?
5 out of the 13 states had to vote against a law in order to prevent it from being passed.
How many states had to vote to pass a law under the Articles of Confederation?
9 of 13 states had to approve of or ratify a law under the Articles of Confederation in order for that law to be passed.
What is a compromise?
A compromise is an agreement made between two opposing sides settling their dispute in a matter that both sides can get what they want.
What was the wake-up call that showed the government needed to be changed?
An event referred to as Shay's Rebellion in which farmers gathered to rebel against their government made the government realize the need for change.
Major Issues of Ratification Process
Antifederalists wouldn't ratify until Bill of Rights; 2 biggest states wouldn't sign until representation was right
Why might this be a problem?
Because states could refuse taxation and the government won't be able to pay off debt, loans, bad economy, the government won't be able to provide resources, etc.
Structure of the Constitutional Convention
Every state but Rhode Island was there; in Philadelphia
Flaws of the Articles of Confederation
Government had no militia, no executive leadership, couldn't collect taxes, no single currency, each state had = votes,needed unanimous votes
Why did the political leaders make the national government so weak?
Political leaders made the national government so weak because previously under the rule of Britain the government dominated the states.
Why did the Articles of Confederation fail?
The Articles of Confederation concluded in failure due to how weak it made it's government. Within this format of governing, the government couldn't maintain an army, collect taxes, or enforce any laws.
Why did the Constitutional Convention take place?
The states realized the multiple flaws in the Articles of Confederation so the Constitutional Convention took place in order to discuss how their new government would be like.
Who is protected by this voting system?
The states were protected by this voting system
Major Issues and their Solutions of the Convention
The Compromises (Great Compromise, 3/5 Compromise, Slave Trade Compromise, etc.)
What was the Great Compromise?
The Great Compromise was an agreement between states created in the process of making a new constitution. It stated that in one house of the legislature (Senate house) every state got equal votes (2 Senators per state), while in the other house (house of representatives) the amount of votes was based off of a states population.
What was the New Jersey Plan? Who liked it?
The New Jersey Plan was basically a repeat of the Virginia Plan however the Legislative Branch only had one house and each state had an equal say in it. Small states liked it.
What was the Virginia Plan? Who liked it?
The Virginia Plan was a plan for the government involving three branches that would enforce the laws, interpret the laws, and create the laws. One of those branches (legislative) was split in two houses where states would get to represent themselves based off of their population. Larger states approved of this plan.
What was the compromise on the slave trade?
The compromise on slave trade would be that the Southern states would be able to continue it for 20 years. After 20 years, the slave trade would come to an end.
How is this a problem?
The government couldn't pay off debts, protect the nation, deal with rebellions, provide resources etc. and the states had all the power (no balance in power). Led to weak government that couldn't support nation.
How is the national government supposed to obtain money under the Articles of Confederation?
The national government can make taxes; however states aren't forced into paying those taxes.
How is the national government supposed to obtain soldiers under the Articles of Confederation?
The national government can't obtain any soldiers within the Articles of Confederation; had to ask the states for militia, and the states could refuse.
Who has all the power in the Articles of Confederation?
The states have all the authority under the Articles of Confederation.
What was the Three-Fifths Compromise?
The three-fifths compromise stated that three out of every five slaves would be counted towards Southern states population and three out of every five slaves would be taxed on.
Ratify?
To ratify is to approve of or pass.