Articles of Articles of ConfederatioConfederatio

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November 15, 1777

Articles of Articles of ConfederationConfederation

• established a "firm league of friendship" an alliance among the 13 states rather than a nation.

• reflect the wariness by the states of a strong central government.

• states retained their "sovereignty, freedom and independence" with their own constitutions.

Articles of Articles of ConfederationConfederation

Samuel Huntington

Thomas McKean

John Hanson*

Elias Boudinot

Thomas Mifflin

*Hanson was the first presiding officer of the Congress to use that title when dealing with foreign governments, diplomats, or treaties.

Richard Henry Lee John Hancock Nathaniel Gorham

Arthur St. Clair Cyrus Griffin

Presidents of the United States in Congress

Assembled

Articles of Articles of ConfederationConfederation

Congress Under the Articles

• conduct foreign affairs, declaring war or peace

• maintaining an army and navy

• request money from the states

• coin money and establish post offices

• one vote per state regardless of size

Articles of Articles of ConfederationConfederation

Congress Could NOT

• take state territory for the benefit of the country

• collect taxes or control commerce

• force compliance with national laws it made –required 9 of 13 states to approve

• establish courts

Problems with the Problems with the ArticlesArticles

• Hard to amend – required all states approval

• States so strong that no national problems could be solved. Could block int’l treaties.

• Europe had no faith in US unity.

• Revolutionary War debt owed to foreign governments and wealthy citizens

• Creditors began to demand payment –states issue new taxes and people object.

Shay’s RebellionShay’s Rebellion

• Merchants and lawmakers of Eastern Massachusetts pushed for taxes to repay debt owed them

• Taxes had to be paid in cash – gold or silver coin called specie – worth more than paper.

• Farmers in West faced hard times and jail if debt not paid. Many not paid for war service.

• Daniel Shays led a rebellion to protest tax collections

Effects of Shay’s RebellionEffects of Shay’s Rebellion

• National government powerless to help stop the riots.

• Demonstrated need for strong National Government.

• Annapolis Convention

Protesting taxes at a courthouse

Articles of Articles of ConfederationConfederation

1) Land Ordinance of 1785

• Raised needed money for national government

• Organized western territories for later settlement six-mile wide townships.

Two important actions taken:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/95/Theoreticaltownshipmap.gif

Articles of Articles of ConfederationConfederation

• abolished claims to territory by states

• banned slavery in the territory & established civil rights

• governed process for creating new states

• placed territorial government under Congress

2) Northwest Ordinance of 1787