Articles of Confederation

Miss SpringbornTeam 6- Social Studies

Major Problem: Who should have more power?

• State Government or National Government?

Why Would Americans Fear having a strong national

government????• King George and the way he

trampled their rights…

1777:• Articles of Confederation are

drafted• Fully ratified (approved) in 1781• Confederation- loose grouping of

states joined together under one government

Think about this…• Why must a government be able to

collect taxes???

It said…• States free and independent from

each other• 9 of 13 states needed to agree to

make decisions• Needed all states to make

amendments to constitution• Created a weak central

government

More issues to deal with…

• Most power went to states• States had power over money,

treaties, army, and declaring war• Congress could not tax or control

trade• There was no Supreme Court and

no President

Why could it be bad if the government has no president

or no national court??

What problems would the United States face as it

started out as a new country???

Think about that…

1785: LAND ORDINANCE• Set up a process to settle the new

territories and create new states• When the population in an area reached

60,000 then the territory could apply for admission to the union as a state

• New states would be equal in power to the 13 original states.

More Problems with the Articles…

• Debt (owing money to others)• America was heavily in debt from the

war costs• It had no power to tax the people• Therefore…no power to collect money• States ignored request for money or

taxes…didn’t want to help

Problem 2- Economy (way you make, trade, and buy goods)

• There was a depression after the war with inflation (increase in prices of goods and services combined with reduced value of money)

• Early attempts at the money system were a disaster

Can you think of any ways to solve the problems of the

Articles???

Problem 3- States fighting…• Some states disagree about taxes and

trade

Problem 4- Foreign Problems

• The British still held forts in the Northwest Territory

• The British and French supported the Natives to stop the US from expanding into the Northwest

Shay’s Rebellion: January 1787

• The Government rejected debtor relief and seized property (farms) for non-payment of taxes

• Angry, backcountry farmers under the leadership of Daniel Shay tried to seize the arsenal in Springfield, Massachusetts

What Shay’s Rebellion proves…• Despite the rebellion’s defeat, national

political leaders were very concerned

“I am mortified beyond expression” said by George Washington about the rebellion

What problems did Shay’s rebellion show our country

to have???

A call for a National Government

• A group of national leaders emerge, advocating a stronger central government.

• Congress reluctantly called for a second convention…

“For the Sole purpose of revising the Articles of

Confederation…”

Not exactly what happened though…stay tuned

What could leaders at the constitutional convention do

to make the government stronger??

Coming Attractions…