American Revolution: Understanding The New Republic

Understanding The New Republic

• The states needed a government during the American Revolution mainly because they needed a government for the newly independent colonies.

State Governments and Constitutions

• The primary reason for each state to have its own state governments and written constitutions was to uphold the ideas of the Declaration.

Branches of Government

• The Legislative branch is responsible for making laws.

Establishment of a New Federal Government

• The establishment of a new federal government for the nation required approval from all states.

Loyalty During the American Revolution

• Citizens during the American Revolution were more loyal to their state.

The Articles of Confederation

• The Articles of Confederation operated during the Revolution and was a compromise between States and the Continental Congress.
• The Articles of Confederation aimed to establish a weak central government among the states.

Strengths and Weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation

• One of the strengths of the Articles of Confederation was allowing each state to make decisions for itself.
• A weakness of the Articles of Confederation was the inability to regulate trade between states and appoint military officers.

Powers Granted to the States

• Under the Articles of Confederation, states were granted the power to declare war.

The Land Ordinance of 1785

• The Land Ordinance of 1785 was significant for setting up a system for settling the Northwest Territory.

The Northwest Ordinance of 1787

• The Northwest Ordinance of 1787 guaranteed basic rights to settlers in the Northwest Territory.

Limitations of Congress

• Congress under the Articles of Confederation had limited powers, including the inability to regulate trade between states and appoint military officers.
• Without the power to tax, Congress had difficulty repaying war debt.

Shay's Rebellion

• Shay's Rebellion was a response to high taxes imposed by the state government and seizing of farms due to unpaid mortgages.
• Daniel Shays organized a rebellion against the state government.
• To many Americans, Shay's Rebellion indicated that the Articles of Confederation were not working.

The Constitutional Convention

• The Constitutional Convention followed Shay's Rebellion as a way to address the inadequacies of the Articles of Confederation.

The British Closure of the Port of New Orleans

• The British closed the port of New Orleans to American shipping to weaken the American economy.

Weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation

• The government under the Articles of Confederation lacked a judicial system.
• A weakness of the Articles of Confederation was the lack of centralized power.