G10 Period 3 Constitutional Convention
Period 3-2 Review (1781-1789)
From Confederation to Constitution
1. The Big Picture
- Time: 1781-1789
- After winning independence, the new United States almost failed. The government under the Articles of Confederation (AoC) was too weak. This period is defined by the struggle between state power and federal (national) power.
- The Turning Point: Problems under the AoC made leaders get rid of it and write a completely new U.S. Constitution at the Constitutional Convention in 1787.
2. The Articles of Confederation (AoC) (1781-1789)
Structure: A “Firm League of Friendship”
- Central Government: One “branch” only—a Congress (Legislative). No President (Executive). No National Courts (Judicial).
- Power Dynamic: The states kept almost all power. The national government was weak on purpose because Americans feared a strong central government like King George III.
The Three Fatal Problems of the AoC
| Problem | What It Meant | Real-World Consequence |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Weak Central Government | Congress could not tax, regulate trade between states, or enforce its own laws. It could only ask states for money and soldiers. | The U.S. government was broke and could not defend itself. |
| 2. Financial Instability | No power to tax = no reliable income. Congress printed worthless paper money (Continentals). War debts to soldiers and foreign nations (France, Netherlands) went unpaid. | Inflation (prices went way up). The U.S. looked irresponsible and weak to other countries. |
| 3. Domestic Disorder | No power to stop conflicts between states over trade and borders. No national army to put down rebellions inside the country. | See Shays’ Rebellion in 1786–87. |
3. The Northwest Ordinance of 1787
This is the most impactful and lasting thing the AoC government did.
What it Did:
- Created a process for new states: Made rules for how new territory could become states.
- Banned Slavery north of the Ohio River: (Foreshadowing) This was the first federal rule against slavery.
- Promised Rights: Guaranteed basic rights (trial by jury, freedom of religion) and support for public education in new territories.
Why It Matters:
- Expansion with Order: It provided a (comparatively) peaceful, way for the U.S. to grow (imperial republic).
- Slavery’s Fault Line: It created a clear geographic divide over slavery (North vs. South) that would define future conflicts.
- Lasting System: The basic process for creating new states is still used today.
4. The Last Straw: Shays’ Rebellion (1786–1787)
- Who: Daniel Shays, a poor farmer and former Revolutionary War captain.
- Why: Massachusetts raised taxes to pay war debts. Farmers couldn’t pay, courts began taking their farms, and they were thrown in debtors’ prison.
- What: Shays led 4,000 farmers to shut down courts and then attack a federal arsenal for weapons.
- The Result: The AoC government had no army to stop it. Massachusetts’ state militia handled it, but the event terrified wealthy elites (like George Washington).
The Impact: Shays’ Rebellion proved the national government was too weak to keep domestic peace. It was the emergency that forced leaders to call for the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia in May 1787.
5. The Constitutional Convention (Summer 1787)
- Original Goal: To revise the Articles of Confederation.
- What They Actually Did: Threw out the AoC and secretly wrote a brand new Constitution.
The Great Compromise (Connecticut Compromise)
- Problem: Big states vs. small states over representation in Congress. Virginia Plan was to have two houses with proportional representation. New Jersey Plan was to have one house with one vote per state.
- Solution:
- The House of Representatives: Representation based on state population (good for big states).
- The Senate: Each state gets 2 votes, regardless of population (good for small states).
- Result: Created our bicameral (two-house) Congress.
The 3/5 Compromise
- Problem: How should enslaved people be counted for representation and taxation?
- Solution: Each enslaved person would count as three-fifths of a person for both:
- Counting a state’s population for seats in the House of Representatives.
- Calculating direct federal taxes on the states.
- Result: This gave more power to slaveholding states in the South.
Other Key Features of the New Constitution
- Strong Federal Government: Could tax, regulate interstate commerce, raise an army, and enforce laws through a President and federal courts.
- System of Checks and Balances: Divided power among three branches (legislative, executive, and judicial) so no one branch could become too powerful.
6. Must-Know Vocabulary
| English Term | Simple Meaning | 中文小提示 |
|---|---|---|
| Articles of Confederation (AoC) | First U.S. constitution; created a very weak national government. | 《邦联条例》 |
| Ratify | To formally approve (like a constitution or treaty). | 批准 |
| Northwest Ordinance | AoC’s big success; set rules for creating new states and banned slavery in the NW Territory. | 《西北条例》 |
| Shays’ Rebellion | Farmer uprising that proved the AoC was too weak and led to the Constitutional Convention. | 谢斯起义 |
| Constitutional Convention | 1787 meeting where delegates wrote the U.S. Constitution. | 制宪会议 |
| The Great Compromise | Created a two-house Congress (House by population, Senate equal). | 大妥协 |
| The 3/5 Compromise | Counted enslaved people as 3/5 of a person for representation and taxation. | 3/5妥协 |
| Bicameral | A legislature with two separate houses or chambers. | 两院制的 |
| Unicameral | A legislature with one one house or chamber. | 1院制的 |
| Federalism | System of government where power is divided between a national government and state governments. | 联邦制 |
7. Practice
Multiple Choice:
1. Which of the following was the most significant long-term impact of the Northwest Ordinance of 1787? (A) It immediately ended slavery in all territories west of the Appalachian Mountains. (B) It established a model for the orderly expansion of the United States through the creation of new states. (C) It provided a solution to the war debt crisis facing the Confederation Congress. (D) It resolved the boundary disputes between the original thirteen states.
2. The primary cause of Shays’ Rebellion was best summarized by which of the following? (A) Opposition to the ratification of the United States Constitution. (B) Economic distress among farmers exacerbated by state policies and the weak federal government. (C) Religious conflict between established churches and new evangelical movements. (D) Protests against the federal government’s decision to honor Native American land claims.
Short Answer Question:
Answer parts A, B, and C. A. Briefly explain ONE specific weakness of the Articles of Confederation. B. Briefly explain how the Northwest Ordinance of 1787 addressed a major challenge facing the new nation. C. Briefly explain how Shays’ Rebellion demonstrated the weaknesses identified in part A.