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19.) Did Congress have the ability to make people follow the laws? 20.) Did all states respect the rights of Loyalists after the Revolutionary War?

19.) Did Congress have the ability to make people follow the laws? 20.) Did all states respect the rights of Loyalists after the Revolutionary War?

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19.) Did Congress have the ability to make people follow the laws? 20.) Did all states respect the rights of Loyalists after the Revolutionary War?
**Threats to Citizens' Right to Property** Many people believed that one of the most serious problems in the United States during the 1780s was the failure of the state governments to protect their citizens' property rights. In most states, the government was controlled by the legislature, which, composed of representatives elected by a majority of the people. People with common interests formed *factions*. These factions sometimes formed majorities in the legislatures. James Madison defined a faction as a group of people that seeks to promote its own interests above the interests of other individuals or groups. These groups made demands of making laws that benefited themselves at the expense of the rights of the common good. For example, they passed laws that canceled debts and that confiscated the property of loyalists. They created paper money and inflation that benefited debtors at the expense of their creditors. People hurt by such laws argued that their property was not safe from actions of state governments. They claimed that the state governments were being used by one class of people to deny the rights of others. Some people argued that these problems were the result of too much democracy in the state governments. They believed that representative government with majority rule did not adequately protect the natural rights of individual citizens or the common good. They argued that factions, in which the majority pursued their own self-interests at the expense of the rights of others, was just another form of tyranny, every bit as dangerous as that of an uncontrolled king. **What do you think?** 1. The Articles of Confederation demonstrated a distrust of a strong national government. What were the historical and philosophical reasons for this distrust? 2. What were the positive and negative consequences of a weak national government? 3. Why do you think the smaller states were concerned about equality under the Articles of Confederation? 4. Many people today continue to distrust the federal government. Why do you think such distrust persists? Explain your position. *Illustration:* The section also includes an illustration showing an armed conflict or a scene likely depicting resistance, possibly related to Shay's Rebellion. **Caption:** "Why did Shays and his followers perceive weaknesses?" This suggests that the illustration is about analyzing the reasons behind the perception of government weaknesses in the historical context.
Transcribed Image Text:**Threats to Citizens' Right to Property** Many people believed that one of the most serious problems in the United States during the 1780s was the failure of the state governments to protect their citizens' property rights. In most states, the government was controlled by the legislature, which, composed of representatives elected by a majority of the people. People with common interests formed *factions*. These factions sometimes formed majorities in the legislatures. James Madison defined a faction as a group of people that seeks to promote its own interests above the interests of other individuals or groups. These groups made demands of making laws that benefited themselves at the expense of the rights of the common good. For example, they passed laws that canceled debts and that confiscated the property of loyalists. They created paper money and inflation that benefited debtors at the expense of their creditors. People hurt by such laws argued that their property was not safe from actions of state governments. They claimed that the state governments were being used by one class of people to deny the rights of others. Some people argued that these problems were the result of too much democracy in the state governments. They believed that representative government with majority rule did not adequately protect the natural rights of individual citizens or the common good. They argued that factions, in which the majority pursued their own self-interests at the expense of the rights of others, was just another form of tyranny, every bit as dangerous as that of an uncontrolled king. **What do you think?** 1. The Articles of Confederation demonstrated a distrust of a strong national government. What were the historical and philosophical reasons for this distrust? 2. What were the positive and negative consequences of a weak national government? 3. Why do you think the smaller states were concerned about equality under the Articles of Confederation? 4. Many people today continue to distrust the federal government. Why do you think such distrust persists? Explain your position. *Illustration:* The section also includes an illustration showing an armed conflict or a scene likely depicting resistance, possibly related to Shay's Rebellion. **Caption:** "Why did Shays and his followers perceive weaknesses?" This suggests that the illustration is about analyzing the reasons behind the perception of government weaknesses in the historical context.
**What were weaknesses in the Articles of Confederation?** *On March 1, 1781, Maryland became the last state to ratify the Articles.* Maryland wanted western lands to be under the control of Congress, not individual states. Only then did Maryland ratify the Articles. This reflects the belief that power that is shared is power that cannot be misused. The limitations of the Articles of Confederation and the difficulties that arose under them led to the decision to adopt the U.S. Constitution. These limitations included: 1. **No money and no power to get it.** Congress had no power to tax. It could only request that states contribute money to support the national government. This system did not work because states often refused or delayed sending funds, which impacted the government's ability to operate and pay war debts. - Congress had borrowed funds during the Revolutionary War but could not repay them. The states collectively paid only a fraction of the costs. 2. **No power over the state governments and their citizens.** Congress couldn't enforce laws or ensure state compliance with national policies. This lack of authority made it difficult to handle conflicts regarding laws and regulations. - States ignored treaties negotiated by Congress, leading to issues with Great Britain regarding loyalty and debts to private citizens. Some state governments ignored these treaties altogether. 3. **Unenforceable trade agreements.** Congress could make trade agreements with foreign nations but had no power to enforce them among the states. - This led to inconsistent trade relationships and economic difficulties, such as Britain closing the West Indies to American commerce. 4. **Unfair competition among the states.** Congress couldn't regulate trade between states, leading to states imposing tariffs on goods from one another. - For example, New York and Pennsylvania taxed goods going to New Jersey, creating barriers and economic tension. **Cartoon Explanation:** The cartoon features exaggerated depictions of "Congress" and "States." Congress, looking needy, asks "Please Give," while the bloated "States" figure holds a bag of money. The image humorously highlights Congress's struggle to collect funds from the states. *Caption:* "How was Congress's ability to govern hurt by not being able to collect taxes from the states?"
Transcribed Image Text:**What were weaknesses in the Articles of Confederation?** *On March 1, 1781, Maryland became the last state to ratify the Articles.* Maryland wanted western lands to be under the control of Congress, not individual states. Only then did Maryland ratify the Articles. This reflects the belief that power that is shared is power that cannot be misused. The limitations of the Articles of Confederation and the difficulties that arose under them led to the decision to adopt the U.S. Constitution. These limitations included: 1. **No money and no power to get it.** Congress had no power to tax. It could only request that states contribute money to support the national government. This system did not work because states often refused or delayed sending funds, which impacted the government's ability to operate and pay war debts. - Congress had borrowed funds during the Revolutionary War but could not repay them. The states collectively paid only a fraction of the costs. 2. **No power over the state governments and their citizens.** Congress couldn't enforce laws or ensure state compliance with national policies. This lack of authority made it difficult to handle conflicts regarding laws and regulations. - States ignored treaties negotiated by Congress, leading to issues with Great Britain regarding loyalty and debts to private citizens. Some state governments ignored these treaties altogether. 3. **Unenforceable trade agreements.** Congress could make trade agreements with foreign nations but had no power to enforce them among the states. - This led to inconsistent trade relationships and economic difficulties, such as Britain closing the West Indies to American commerce. 4. **Unfair competition among the states.** Congress couldn't regulate trade between states, leading to states imposing tariffs on goods from one another. - For example, New York and Pennsylvania taxed goods going to New Jersey, creating barriers and economic tension. **Cartoon Explanation:** The cartoon features exaggerated depictions of "Congress" and "States." Congress, looking needy, asks "Please Give," while the bloated "States" figure holds a bag of money. The image humorously highlights Congress's struggle to collect funds from the states. *Caption:* "How was Congress's ability to govern hurt by not being able to collect taxes from the states?"
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