The Articles of Confederation 1776 - 1789 Flashcards
Beginning with the French and Indian War, this deck describes the growing American resistance to British rule, the Declaration of Independence, the Revolutionary War, and the establishment of the United States as one nation.
Why did the British pass the Prohibitory Act?
To respond to the Olive Branch Petition.
As a result of the Act, the British refused to trade with the 13 colonies whom they said were in open rebellion.
Who wrote Common Sense, a pamphlet advocating for immediate independence?
Thomas Paine
Paine‘s Common Sense sold hundreds of thousands of copies and persuaded many Americans to favor independence.
After the Second Continental Congress “adopted” the New England troops surrounding Boston, who did they place in charge of the Continental Army?
George Washington
As a Virginian, Washington’s appointment signaled colonial unity. Washington was also one of the few colonial soldiers with extensive military experience.
How did Thomas Jefferson justify independence from Great Britain in the Declaration of Independence (July 4, 1776)?
Although Jefferson set out specific grievances (for example, that the King had “dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness of his invasions on the rights of the people”), he also established the right of the people to declare independence when their government violates the people’s natural rights.
George Washington’s Continental Army suffered continual recruiting problems. Why?
Many Americans were willing to serve in the colonial militia which served close to their homes. On the other hand, the Continental Army served throughout the 13 colonies, and many potential soldiers were concerned about leaving their farms for an extended period.
Define:
Tories
Tories were American Loyalists who fought on the side of the British, or otherwise aided them in their war against the American colonists.
Approximately 60,000 Tories fought for the British in the Revolutionary War, and in excess of 500,000 Tories were suspected to exist in the colonies. After the war, many Tories fled to Canada.
What offer did the American and British Armies make to black soldiers?
Black soldiers fought on both sides of the War; each side promised freedom to any slave that enlisted.
During the Revolution, which country was America’s most important ally?
France
Following an American victory at the Battle of Saratoga (1777), France recognized the United States and provided naval assistance, supplies, and monetary aid to the fledgling nation. French assistance proved the decisive factor in the Revolution by forcing the British into a wider war.
Define:
Articles of Confederation
The Articles of Confederation were established during the Revolutionary War by the Continental Congress. Due to fears of concentrated power, the Articles intentionally established a weak central government.
During the Revolutionary War, many states established new constitutions which contained bills of rights.
Q: What were bills of rights?
Bills of rights are lists of things that a government is forbidden to do. For example, a bill of rights may establish that a government cannot take away certain rights, like the freedom to worship as you want.
The second Treaty of Paris (1783) ended the Revolutionary War.
Q: What were the key terms?
The key terms of the Treaty of Paris were:
- Britain recognized American independence
- Britain remained in control of Canada
- Congress would return confiscated Tory property
- British creditors could collect debts owed to them by Americans
- The United States western boundary was set at the Mississippi River, and its southern boundary at Florida
What two key provisions were part of the Land Ordinance of 1785, passed under the Articles of Confederation?
The Land Ordinance of 1785 determined:
- How future land could be purchased by settlers as farmland
- That each section of new “township” set aside land for public education
By establishing this system for settlers to purchase land, it provided the early US government with sorely needed funds, although it did not generate enough money to help solve the early financial problems of the USA.
In addition to the Land Ordinance of 1785, the Articles of Confederation Congress passed the Northwest Ordinance of 1787.
Q: What three key provisions did this Act contain?
One of two major pieces of legislation passed under the Articles of Confederation, the Northwest Ordinance:
- Set rules for creating new states;
- Banned slavery in the new states of the Northwest;
- Provided for limited self-government in territories not yet made states
What is a similarity between the Land Ordinance of 1785 and the Northwest Ordinance of 1787?
The Land Ordinance of 1785 and the Northwest Ordinance of 1787 were the two key legislation passed under the Articles of Confederation.
In Shays’ Rebellion, a group of farmers led by Daniel Shays in Western Massachusetts shut down county courts. Why?
Shays and his followers shut down the county courts to prevent land seizures and imprisonment for debt. Debts were required to be repaid in hard currency, which was scarce.
Shays’ Rebellion was a response to the economic depression and high taxes resulting from Revolutionary War debt, and highlighted the weakness of the government established by the Articles of Confederation.
Define:
Unicameral
Unicameral is a legislature with one chamber. The Articles of Confederation established a unicameral legislature.
Define:
Bicameral
A bicameral legislature is a legislature with two chambers. The legislative branch, as established by the Constitution, is bicameral.
Explain the concept of a tariff. Be sure to also explain why tariffs are rarely used today.
A tariff is a tax imposed upon goods when imported into their country from a foreign country.
For example, the USA may charge a tariff (tax) of 10% of the value of a table when that table is imported into the USA from Canada.
Tariffs are rarely used today because when one country enacts tariffs, then the other countries will respond to those tariffs by enacting their own tariffs. The people who suffer from tariffs are the common people (aka you) since businesses pass those costs to the consumer.
Sometimes these conflicts can escalate into trade wars, which have the potential to cripple a country economically.
What was the Annapolis Convention?
The Annapolis Convention was held in 1786. Twelve delegates from five states met to discuss barriers to trade and commerce that existed due to the Articles of Confederation. The Convention concluded with a call for an additional convention to be held in Philadelphia to discuss revising the Articles.
The Constitutional Convention was called in response to the Annapolis Convention. What was the Constitutional Convention’s initial purpose?
To revise the Articles of Confederation.
The Constitutional Convention’s initial purpose was to revise the Articles of Confederation. A group of strong nationalists, including James Madison and Alexander Hamilton, convinced the Convention to draft an entirely new governing document.
George Washington presided over the meeting since he was widely respected throughout the 13 colonies.
What was the Virginia Plan?
The Virginia Plan, drafted by James Madison, called for a bicameral legislature with two branches. Each state would send legislators to each branch based upon the size of their population.
Describe the New Jersey Plan.
The New Jersey Plan called for a unicameral legislature where each state, regardless of population, had the same number of legislators.
William Paterson proposed the New Jersey Plan as a means of protecting small-population states from being overwhelmed by states with large populations.
How did the Constitutional Convention resolve the differences between the Virginia Plan and the New Jersey Plan?
The Convention adopted the Connecticut Plan, otherwise known as the Great Compromise. The Connecticut Plan established a bicameral legislature in which the number of legislators in the House of Representatives was determined by population, while each state had an equal number of legislators in the Senate.
Explain the rationale for why the South wanted to have the three-fifths compromise written into the constitution.
The Convention passed the Three-Fifths Compromise.
For representation in the House of Representatives, each enslaved person counted as 3/5 of a person. This would only benefit southern states politically since enslaved peoples were relatively rare in the North. This “compromise” was to satisfy wealthy southern planters, who wanted to have greater political power to ensure the safety of their wealth and their continued subjugation of Black Americans.
As a “compromise”, the South also agreed to end the importation of enslaved peoples by 1808.
