The Articles of Confederation (Post 1)

As we discussed in class, the Articles of Confederation and the United States Constitution act as ways by which the “rules” of American government are defined. This unit explores the controversies, issues, and themes which the American government was founded upon and the people who set it into place.

Document One: The Articles of Confederation

The Articles of Confederation were created to establish the American government. Drafted and passed by the Second Continental Congress in 1777, they acted as a basis for a de-facto, or default government until put into law at the end of the Revolutionary War in 1781. After 1781, they became de-jure, or went into effect by law with the American victory in the Revolutionary War.

The nature of the articles required a limited central government. This government unified states into a confederation, or a collection of states united under a single purpose (hence “United States”). Major factors included the ability to declare war, print and regulate money, engage in diplomatic agreements, and administer Western lands. However, this early attempt at Constitutional government was not perfect, as the national government was given only limited rights and abilities. With no executive power granted to carry out laws, Congress could not enforce the legislation it passed. We see these issues coming to prominence in Shays’ Rebellion, an open revolt in West Springfield, Massachusetts. Because the government’s own problems created the event and the army could not effectively react to the event, American politicians would soon find the need to meet in Philadelphia in 1787 for a Constitutional Convention.

Unit Vocabulary:

Articles of Confederation
Constitution
Confederation
Shays’ Rebellion

NPR: John Copeland and Harpers Ferry

While we will be covering Hudson's most famous resident, the abolitionist John Brown, he is not the only difficult figure to interpret who took part in the raid on Harpers Ferry. Below, you will find a link to an NPR story and a portion of the transcript relating to John Anthony Copeland, a free black who moved to Oberlin, Ohio in 1842. While Brown was visiting Cleveland in support of the Oberlin-Wellington "Rescuers," he offered Copeland a position in the group which would attack the federal arsenal at Harpers Ferry.

Copeland represents a free black who was quite the idealist, ready and willing to die for his cause. We will be discussing Copeland in class with both our unit relating to slavery and later in the year, when we discuss the causes of the Civil War. While there is no extra credit for listening to this presentation or reading the primary sources which accompany it, the NPR program does a great job of bringing a little-known historical figure to life.

NPR Program: John Copeland, a Hero of Harpers Ferry

Oberlin College Archives/Electronic Oberlin Group: John Copeland

Slavery in America, 1492-1859

Slavery in America, 1492-1859

With the beginning of this unit, we will "shift gears" in that we explore history from a different perspective. This perspective involves looking at history from two new angles.

First, we will be looking at America through a topical, or topic-based lens, rather than sticking to the chronological, or time-based approach we have used through the school year. Next, as we will discuss in class, we will approach history from "the bottom-up." This approach will force us to look at the people we study from the point of view of those who are not economically, politically, or socially powerful.

Extra Credit Assignment

1. Visit the Melrose Interactive Slavery Environment by clicking on the link (note that Flash Player is required to view this activity);
2. After completing the virtual "tour" of the plantation, answer the following questions in a one to two-page essay:

• What five rooms or artifacts interested you the most? Why?
  
• How would you imagine the slave quarters to have
  looked/felt/smelled/sounded like?
• Did this site give an accurate and fair representation of slave life? Explain.

Resources

• Slavery in America, home of the Melrose Interactive Slavery Environment: http://www.slaveryinamerica.org/
• Understanding Slavery: http://www.understandingslavery.org/
• Civil War @ Smithsonian, Slavery and Abolition: http://www.civilwar.si.edu/slavery_intro.html
• Slavery Project WebQuest