Articles of Confederation

Historical Inspiration• Magna Carta (1215)– A document signed by King John making the king subject to

law

• English Bill of Rights (1689)– Declared supremacy of Parlaiment– King/Queen can’t change laws without consent of

Parlaiment– Pepole’s representatives have stronger voice in government

• Enlightenment– Use of reason to examine old ideas and traditions

American Inspiration

• Town meetings• Virginia House of Burgesses• Mayflower Compact• English colonies constitution (1639)

What do we want in our new government?

• Inspiration from Declaration of Independence– Keep individual leaders from gaining too much

power– All leaders have to obey laws– Protect the rights of citizens or those accused of

crimes– (some wanted) ban slavery

What do we want in our new government? Cont’d

• Religious freedom– Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom• Thomas Jefferson• No person could be forced to attend a particular church

or be required to pay for church with tax money

• Right to vote (suffrage)– Not just men who own land, but anyone who paid

taxes

Writing the Articles of Confederation

• Second Continental Congress charged with task of creating national government

• Committee with 13 (one delegate from each colony)

• Congress would become the single branch of the national government

• Congress had limited powers and states had more powers

Writing the Articles of Confederation

• Started during Revolutionary War• Passed November 15, 1777• Sent to each colony (now state) for ratification

(official approval)

How was the document received?

• Conflicts over land claims• Finally ratified by all states in 1779

What about the lands west of the Appalachian Mountains and east of the

Mississippi River?• Land Ordinance of 1785– System for dividing up land– Split into 36 townships (640 acres each)– 1 for public school– 4 for veterans– Rest sold to public

Northwest Ordinance (1787)

• Congress passed Northwest Ordinance (1787)– Established Northwest Territory• Current states of Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, Illinois, and

Wisconsin– Established a system for bringing new states into

the union– Northwest Territory divided into smaller regions– When the area reached 60,000 people, they could

draft their own constitution and ask to join union

Northwest Ordinance (1787)

• Protected civil liberties• Required public education• “there shall be neither slavery nor involuntary

servitude (forced labor) in the northwest territory”slavery was banned