Why type of government would support our values?

What is a constitution?

Explain the structures of state governments...

Compare to Massachusetts government...

Explain how Americans were self-sufficient.Why does this idea interfere with creating a national

government?

Our first attempt at a constitution is the Articles of Confederation.

Why is this needed?

_____I__________I____________I__________I________

1776 *1777 1783 1787

Declaration Articles of End of ARev Constitutional

ConfederationConvention

Creating a constitution

I. Base Vocabulary:

-constitution: a document that sets out laws in an

organized manner

-confederacy: a loose alliance between the states to

support each other

**national government: government that is structured to include the whole NATION which becomes the

Articles of Confederation

Our first attempt at a constitution is the Articles of Confederation.

Why is this needed?

What is a confederation?a group of states united under a weak central government

FYI:::: *Constitutional Principles from the

Iroquois Confederacy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRP8C2xpyEQ

Our first attempt at a constitution is the Articles of Confederation.

Articles of Confederation: the W’s

1. Articles of Confederation: a loose alliance between the new 13 states that created a weak national government

2. Date: 1781

3. Location: Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia

4. Reason: to create a national government to bind the states together versus state governments

5. Founding Fathers: the men who gather to write our constitutions, delegates from each state

Articles of Confederation

Strengths:

1. national govt controls military

2. states cannot fight each other

3. created a national treasury

4. treasury to provide money for military

5. pass important laws-13 equal votes, must have 9 to pass

all states must abide by this constitution

Articles of Confederation

Problem?

Why are these a problem?

• A man from Massachusetts cannot sell his farm produce in Connecticut

• A family from Virginia traveled to New York. They were unable to buy necessary items because New York Merchants refused to accept Virginia currency

• George Martin of Georgia refused to pay debts to loyalist John Dennison of the same state as guaranteed by the Treaty of Paris

• A group of citizens in Virginia imported woolen goods from Great Britian and refused to pay for them.

• New Jersey needs funds to conduct the business of the state, so they printed more money

• France would not loan money to the new government

• The representatives from the state of Virginia protested that their population was considerably more than Delaware’s, but they had the same number of votes in Congress

Articles of Confederation

Weaknesses:

1. 13 states: some felt unfairly that they need more representation based on population, *equal votes but need 9 of 13 to pass a law

2. money issues: all states did not have the same currency, national government made currency but no value “continental”

3. issues with foreign countries cannot be addressed

4. states execute the laws, not an executive branch

5. TAXES: different states have their own taxing system, national government cannot tax

6. No courts to judge the laws