US History

U.S. History Study Guide

Chapter 7: Creating a Government

7.1 Creating a Government This chapter will cover the creation of our national government from 1777 to 1789 covering the state constitutions, the Articles of Confederation, and events which lead to the creation of the United States Constitution. This chapter will also give a short analysis and summary of the Constitution and Bill of Rights. 7.2 State Constitutions When the Revolution seemed inevitable, states began to form new self-governments. By the end of 1777 ten new state constitutions had been formed. Connecticut and Rhode Island kept their colonial charters, just deleting references to British loyalty. Massachusetts waited until 1780 to complete the adoption of its new constitution. The constitutions ranged from extreme democratic models to unworkable models where one legislature chamber ruled with little checks or balance; to more reasonable frameworks such as those of Maryland and Virginia, which included more safeguards. Massachusetts voters insisted that a constitution should be made by a special convention rather than the legislature, setting precedent for the U.S. Constitution. Most state constitutions included a bill of individual rights which protected the personal liberties of citizens, this notion was later adopted into the Constitution as the Bill of Rights. 7.3 The Articles of Confederation (1776-1787) In 1776, the Continental Congress appointed a committee to create the first government that the newly formed United States would govern by, the Articles of Confederation. Some felt a strong national government was needed, but Congress decided to give the states more power and sovereignty thereby creating a very weak national government. The Articles of Confederation provided for a one legislative Congress in which each state would have one vote, much like the Continental Congress' system. The executive authority under the Articles would be given to a committee of thirteen people, one representing each state. In order to amend the Articles, a unanimous approval from all the states was required. The Articles of Confederation central government was allowed to make war, treaties, decide the amount of troops and money each state should contribute to the war effort, settle disputes between the states, admit new states to the Union, and borrow money. The Articles of Confederation was not

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