Unit I Lesson 2

Failures of the Articles of

Confederation

Essential Questions:

• What are the origins of American government?

• What type of government was established at the Constitutional Convention of 1789?

• How was our government shaped by the historical situation at the time and the philosophical tradition that influenced the framers of the constitution?

The

American

Revolution

1775- 1783

“Natural Rights”

“Social

Contract”

or “Expressed Powers”“Enumerated Powers”

“Constitution”

The Articles of Confederation- America’s first constitution (“rule

book” explaining the powers of government, rights of the

citizens, limits on authority, etc.)

Rule

Book

“Constitution”

1777

Articles of

Confederation

Everything

Else

1783

The Articles of Confederation had several major

weaknesses:

• Only state and local governments could tax citizens; the

federal (national) government could NOT

• The federal government could not pay

off its debt from the Revolutionary War

Articles of

Confederation

• There was no national currency

(each state had its own money)

Summing Up the

Biggest Problem

With The Articles

of

Confederation…

Biggest Problem: The Articles of Confederation gave

individual states more power than the national government

1777-1787

“Daniel Shay’s Rebellion” exposed the weakness of the Articles of

Confederation and confirmed that a new constitution with a stronger national

government was needed

“Shays Rebellion”

“Shays Rebellion”

Daniel

Shays

Upper

Class

It’s time to get the band back together…

“The Founding Fathers” or

“The Framers”

Thomas

Jefferson

John

AdamsBenjamin

Franklin

George

Washington

Jefferson AdamsFranklinWashington

1787

…for the sole and

express purpose of

revising the

Articles of

Confederation

“The U.S. Constitution”

Under the Articles of Confederation the bulk

of power rested in which of the following

entities?

A. The National Congress

B. The President

C. The States

D. The Military

Which of the following was NOT a problem with the Articles of Confederation?

A. There was no federal army to prevent revolutions

B. The Articles were almost impossible to amend

C. Trade between states was almost nonexistent

D. The states did not have enough power under the Articles of Confederation

Shay’s Rebellion is significant because it:

A. Led to the overthrow of British rule

B. Scared many of the American elites and eventually led to the adoption of the U.S. Constitution

C. Led to the enactment of slavery in the South

D. Caused the American colonies to join together in the face of a threat from the French