J. Kelly Robison
I. The United States
Under the Articles of Confederation
A. Republicanism
1. Balance
of Power and Liberty
a. All
power comes from the people
b. Egalitarianism
2. Representative
B. State
Governments
1. Greater
participation in government
2. Property
Qualifications
C. Articles
of Confederation
1. Ratified
March 1, 1781
2. Small
national government with very limited powers
a. Almost
an informal alliance between states
b. Powers
(1) conduct
foreign affairs
(2) conduct
wars
(3) settle
disputes between states
c. Limitations
(1) could
not tax
(2) could
not coin money
(3) could
not control cash flow
(4) laws
required unanimous consent
3. Achievements
a. Land
Policy
(1) Northwest
Ordinance
D. Critical
Period
1. International
Problems
a. Britain
b. Spain
c. Trade
2. National
Problems
a. War
Debt
b. Internal
Trade
(1) states
imposing tariffs on other states’ goods
c. Disorder
(1) caused
by economic problems
(2) Shays’s
Rebellion
II. The Constitution
A. Prelude
1. Annapolis
Convention (Sept. 1786)
B. The
Convention
1. Made
up of elite of American politics
2. Plans
for a new National Government
a. Virginia
Plan
b. New
Jersey Resolutions
c. Hamilton’s
Plan
d. Connecticut
Compromise
(1) based
in large part on Virginia Plan
C. Ratification
1. Federalists
vs Anti-Federalists
2. The
Bill of Rights
| Annapolis Convention | Constitutional Convention | James Madison |
| George Washington | Virginia Plan | New Jersey Plan |
| Connecticut Compromise | Three-Fifths Compromise | checks and balances |
| balanced government | Alexander Hamilton | The Federalist Papers |
| Anti-Federalists | Bill of Rights |
For what reasons did the delegates to the Constitutional Convention deem a new national government necessary?
Did the Constitution advance or set back the principles of the Revolution? Defend your answer by showing clearly the changes in political philosophy that the Constitution demonstrated.