Constitution and Early Republic
Analyze the Articles of Confederation, Constitutional Convention, ratification debates, Bill of Rights, and early party conflict.
A lesson of US History, in Colonial America and the Founding, about 10 minutes.
The Constitution and the New Republic
By the end of this lesson, you will be able to explain the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation, describe how the Constitution addressed them, analyze the major debates at the Constitutional Convention, and evaluate how the new government was established.
After Independence: The Articles of Confederation
Articles of Confederation (ratified 1781): America's first governing document. Created a "firm league of friendship" among the states — deliberately weak central government.
Structure: a unicameral Congress (one house); no executive, no national judiciary; each state got one vote regardless of size; major decisions required 9 of 13 states; amendments required unanimity.
Problems:
- Congress could not tax — relied on voluntary contributions from states (most didn't pay)
- Congress could not regulate interstate or foreign commerce
- No national currency; 13 states had 13 different currencies
- Could not enforce laws — no executive, no courts
- Could not raise a national army
Shays' Rebellion (1786–1787): debt-ridden Massachusetts farmers, many of them Revolutionary War veterans, rose up against foreclosures and imprisonment for debt. Daniel Shays led the rebellion. Massachusetts had to put it down with a private army of creditors.
Significance: convinced national leaders that the Articles were inadequate. A stronger national government was necessary.
The Constitutional Convention (1787)
Philadelphia, May–September 1787: 55 delegates met to revise the Articles — but quickly decided to write an entirely new document.
Key figures: James Madison (principal architect; "Father of the Constitution"), George Washington (presiding officer; his presence legitimized the proceedings), Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Hamilton, Gouverneur Morris.
Major Compromises:
1. The Great Compromise (Connecticut Compromise):
- Small states: equal representation in one house (Senate — 2 per state)
- Large states: proportional representation in one house (House of Representatives)
- Result: bicameral Congress
2. The Three-Fifths Compromise:
- How to count enslaved people for representation and taxation?
- Enslaved people counted as three-fifths of a person for both purposes
- Gave Southern states more political power; slaveholding interests built into the Constitution