Articles of Confederation

America’s First Attempt to Create a

Government.

The Articles of Confederation The Confederation created was not a nation, but only a league of sovereign States…

Articles of Confederation

What is going on?• At the 2nd Continental Congress, after we wrote the

Declaration of Independence we…• Decided colonies need some sort of written plan

for government (aka constitution)

• So, in1777 the Articles of Confederation was created

• 1781, all 13 states ratified(approved) it!

• But things can’t be this easy…

After Independence

-13 individual colonies

• We are not the US yet

• Just separate independent states.

-13 different governments

• Hard to control

-very loose association of the 13 states in a confederate style government that was totally unwritten

Considered a: “firm league of friendship among independent states.”

State Government

-every state wrote its own constitution

-every state had different laws to follow…

-all had three branches

Each state had (3) branches:

legislative, executive, judicial

-guaranteed certain rights

• Wanted to make sure citizens were given more rights than under their previous government

-Revolutionary War- this war was still going on…

-Strength of the British military

• England banned us in the British West Indies where a lot of Americans traded ---

• Couldn’t trade with them anymore

• Was a large source of American economy. $$

-weakness of the colonial militias

Need for Cooperation

-would need a method of cooperation

-limited control would be given to a central government

**Colonists were scared to give power to a central (national) gov’t

So more power was given to STATES (reserved power)

-would not be able to control the 13 states

** NO national Executive or Judicial Branches.

-Articles of Confederation signed in 1781 **took 4 years to get approval

National Government

Confederation

National Gov’t looked like this:

-1 house legislature (unicameral)

-1 vote per state (to make it fair)

-9 of 13 required to pass laws (rigid law)

-controls the military

-power to make treaties (begin problems of who gets to decide things…)

***L branch can: declare war, make treaties w/other countries

-Land Ordinance 1785

-lands past the Appalachians were declared new territories (ready to settle)

-NW Ordinance 1787

-banned slavery in NW areas and set up process of adding additional states

Weaknesses

National Governments could NOT:

-could not enforce laws

-could not tax

- NO executive branch

- NO national court system

- Each state / separate money

- -could not regulate trade

• Each state coined its own money

• SC money was different than VA money

• Made trading b/w states difficult…

Future Problems

-taxation problems

• National govt has no power to tax so each state decides on tax issues.

-Shay’s Rebellion

-Event that occurred when Massachusetts farmers revolted over high state taxes and caused people to realize the weakness of the government

**shay rhymes w/hay**

-trade barriers

-inability to pass laws (9/13 have to agree)

-lack of strong executive

This event made many colonists realize that a

stronger national government would need to be created

for them to stay independent…

Shay’s Rebellion: 10 Days that

Unexpectedly Changed America

Video ClipsArticles of

ConfederationShay’s Rebellion

Articles of Confederation for Dummies! Explained

by Keith Hughes

Shay’s Rebellion Explained by Keith

Hugh