Notes

Social Study's notes

1. Independence Hall in Philadelphia is the official birthplace of the United States of America. It was there that the Second Continental Congress chose George Washington as Commander in Chief of the Continental Army (1775). It was also there that the Declaration of Independence was signed (1776) and the delegates to the Constitutional Convention drafted a constitution for the United States government (1787).

Independence Hall was originally a meeting place for the Pennsylvania Assembly. It was called the Pennsylvania State House. Construction was completed in the 1740's. However, lawmakers began meeting in the unfinished Assembly Chamber as early as 1736.

In May 1775, one month after the Revolutionary War began, the Second Continental Congress gathered in the Assembly Chamber of the State House. They met to draft a declaration of independence from Great Britain. On July 4, the Declaration of Independence was signed. Four days later it was read to the public, for the first time, from the State House Yard. The State House Bell, now called the Liberty Bell, rang out in celebration.

During the early years of the Revolutionary War, the British occupied Philadelphia. They used the State House as a prison and a hospital. When the American Congress returned in 1778, they found the hall "filthy" with "the inside torn much to pieces." The hall was cleaned, and Congress again began meeting there. Nearly a decade later, in 1787, a convention was held there to draft a new constitution for the newly independent country. On September 17, the Constitution was signed and ready for ratification by the states.

Sometime in the 1800's, people began referring to the State House as Independence Hall. Today people come from all over the world to visit this historic site. It is now part of Independence National Historical Park. The Liberty Bell, which once stood in a room on the ground floor of the State House tower, now can be seen in Liberty Bell Center, not far from its original home.

2.The first constitution of the United States was called the Articles of Confederation. This document was written at the Second Continental Congress. The Articles created a confederation, or loose union, of the 13 states. They also set up a legislature called the Congress of the Confederation. The Congress was the central government of the Confederation. The Articles went into effect in 1781. They were replaced by the Constitution of the United States in 1789.

Background
In 1776 some factors favored forming a central government over all the states. The fight for independence favored a central government; it required a unified policy. Many people believed a central government would be useful after the war, too. It would help with trade, control western lands, and issue money. Also, the colonists already had many things in common. They shared a common language, political ideas, and an English heritage.

But other factors worked against it. The colonies had developed many differences. They had different customs, traditions, and economies. New Englanders and southerners disagreed about many social, economic, and religious matters. Many Americans were more loyal to their local region than to the nation. Conflicts arose over borders, western lands, and slavery. And some Americans just did not like the idea of a central government. They were fighting against British centralized authority.

Drafting the Articles
John Dickinson of Pennsylvania headed a committee to draft a constitution. Congress rejected his first draft. It called for a powerful central government. Delegates decided for a central government that was weak. The states would have control over it. So a new draft was written.

Delegates argued about the rights of states. They also differed about three other issues: representation, money contributions, and western lands. Finally, they decided that every state would have one vote in Congress. States would contribute money to the government according to how much privately owned land they had. And the central government would control western lands. The arguments took years, however. The first draft had been written by July 1776. The final draft was adopted in November 1777. But the states did not ratify it until March 1781.

Characteristics
Under the Articles, the Confederation was a group of sovereign states. The central government consisted only of Congress. The states chose its members every year. Each state had one vote in Congress. Nine out of 13 votes were required to pass any measure. The Articles provided for no president or national judiciary.

Congress had many powers in foreign policy. It could conduct foreign relations, declare war, make treaties, raise armies, and build a navy. In domestic affairs, its powers were limited. It could control Native American affairs, borrow money, and build post offices. Otherwise, it could only make suggestions to the states. It could ask the states to pass laws, but it could not impose laws on them. The central government could not raise taxes or control commerce.

Practical Effects
Despite its weakness, Congress did achieve some things. It concluded the Revolutionary War. It signed a favorable peace treaty. It worked out a policy for western lands in a law called the Northwest Ordinance. Executive offices were created to deal with some of its functions: finance, foreign affairs, war, and marine matters.

The Articles' flaws, however, were too much. Many states refused to follow its suggestions. Without the power to tax, it was always short of money. Unable to regulate commerce, it could not establish a trade policy. Moreover, the rules for amending the Articles were too difficult; in practice, they could not be changed.

The country was facing many problems. There was an economic depression and threats from foreign countries. People came to believe the country needed a stronger government. So, in 1787, the Constitutional Convention proposed abandoning the Articles. The new Constitution of the United States went into effect on March 4, 1789