1. Lesson 1 Post-Revolution
Problems
Bellringer: What problems do you think
plagued the US after the American
Revolutionary War was won?

2. “These things happened. They were glorious and
they changed the world... and then we screwed
up the endgame.”
- Charlie Wilson

3. Back Story
 CIA led a covert operation against the Russian
invasion in Afghanistan in the 1980’s. The
operation successfully pushed the Russian
troops out of Afghanistan, but following the
victory, the US failed to help establish any
infrastructure in the country. An extremist group,
the Taliban, came in and filled the power void,
starting an oppressive, militant regime which
lasted until 2001.
 “These things happened. They
were glorious and they changed
the world... and then we screwed
up the endgame.”
Revolutions are hard and often
fail. Why did America succeed?

4. Guiding Questions
 Guiding Questions
 What type of government was set up following the
American Revolution?
 What was the country like following the Revolution?
 Keep in mind during lecture

5. Discussion: John Locke
 What kind of government is
best? Why do we need
government? How do we
create it?
 Founding Fathers studied
philosophers and history when
coming up a government
 Locke and Two Treaties of
Government
 “State of Nature”; a condition in
which no government or laws
existed
 What would a “state of
nature” look like?

6. Discussion: John Locke
 What would life look like in a state of
nature?
 What might be some advantages and
disadvantages?
 What rights, if any, do you expect to
have?
 How would human nature fit into this
model?
 What would daily life be like?

7. Locke’s Discovery
 Imagining a state of nature helped Locke imagine
the best type of government for all.
 Came up with life, liberty , and property
 Natural rights; have these rights simply because they
are human
 Locke felt the best way to govern and still protect natural
rights was to live under a government and giver that
government the power to make and enforce laws
 Power derived from the people
 “Social Contract”
 Give up all rights for security
What rights do we give up? How much should
we give up?

8. Post-War Problems
 13 very different states made up the US
 Each state had their own constitution
 May 1176, the Continental Congress requested all
the states draft their own constitutions
 All made different constitutions

9. State Constitutions
 The states were very wary of one party having
too much power
 Drafted constitution to limit power in the hands of a
single ruler
 Pennsylvania set up a council of 12
 States divided power between the governor (or
executive leader) and the legislature (i.e. the
Congress)
 Hosted frequent elections

10. State Constitutions
 States included similar
themes
 Natural rights
 Social contract
 Popular sovereignty; people
are the highest authority
 Representation; elected
officials
 Separation of power
 Checks and balances

11. Problems
 System was not working
 Going from dependent colonies to self-
governing states created problems
 Even harder to create a unified, national
government
 States wanted a republic; basically the head
of state is not a monarch
 Favored weak national government; states would
be like small, independent countries

12. Fixing the Problems
 2nd Continental
Congress appointed a
committee to plan a
national government
 Adopted the Articles of
Confederation
 US’ first constitution
 Approved March 1, 1781
 Created the Confederation
Congress as the national
government; very limited
authority

13. How did the new government
work?
 Only set up a Congress
 This congress could only approve things with
approval from the states
 Each state had1 vote and Confederation
Congress needed 9 votes to pass

14. Problems with Confederation
Congress
 No money or power to raise money
 No power over states or citizens
 Not following Locke
 No one giving up any power

15. What COULD they DO?
 “Firm League of Friendship”; each state
remained independent
 National government would conduct foreign affairs,
maintain armed forces, borrow money, and issue
currency
 It could NOT regulate trade, draft to the military, or
impose taxes
 Could ask states for money, but there was no chief
officer to enforce

16. Still Fixing the Problems
 Other issues
 All states had 1 vote, but bigger states wanted more
say
 The national government was weak
 9 states to pass a law
 Too weak to deal with problems
 Financial issues, worthless money, unable to
collect taxes, food prices rose, riots, debt
 Confederation asked states to revise the
Articles to allow the Congress the power to
tax
 Needed all 13 states to revise Articles
 Did not pass

17. More Issues
 Great Britain still occupied
the Great Lakes region
 Kept America out of global
trade
 Spain closed shipping to
lower Mississippi
 Depression, limited trade,
limited agriculture due to
war damages

18. Too Weak
 Confederation could do
little to deal with the
problems
 “Little more that the
shadow without
substance.”
 Farmers could not sell
goods
 States seized their lands
when they couldn’t pay
taxes
 Led to rebellions

19. Shay’s Rebellion
 Massachusetts
 Daniel Shay led
an armed mob
and closed the
courts in the city.
Fought the state
militia

20. Shay’s Rebellion
Worrisome; the government
was losing control
Country could fall to
widespread anarchy
Could a country continue if
it couldn’t maintain law and
order?

21. Slavery Issues
 Forced contradiction
between liberty and
enslavement
 11 states outlawed
slavery, but the
southern economy was
still dependent
 Quakers = abolitionists
 People began
questioning the
Federal government

22. Starting Over
 Failed revolutions: Russia and France
 Read article about revolutions: Failed revolutions:
Mao’s China, Lenin’s Russia, Khomeini’s Iran. Is
Egypt next?

23. Questions
 EXIT CARD
 Why couldn’t the Articles of Confederation work
according to Locke?
 Guiding Questions

24. Primary Sources
 Read Articles of Confederation
 In partners
 Summarize Articles
 Discuss