1. What do we know about the Articles of Confederation?

2. 3-1: The Country’s First Government  Jan. 1776- NH became the first colony to organize as a state.  Leaders wrote a Constitution: A detailed, written plan for government.  States set up similar forms of gov’t. (representative)  Legislatures to make laws (Most bicameral)  Governor- elected by legislature or citizens (Executive)  Courts  Most state Const’s. had a Bill of Rights- Basic freedoms and legal protection (trial by jury/ protection of private prop.)

3. The Articles of Confederation  What was needed to win the Revolutionary War  Confederation: A group of individual state governments that unite for a common purpose  Articles of Confederation: Created in 1777, the document that became the 1 st Constitution of the U.S. (1781-89) Articles of Confederation  Set up a “League of Friendship” among independent states  By 1781, all 13 states had ratified (approved) the Articles  Set up a unicameral legislature w/ each state having 1 vote. (Confederation Congress)

4. The Northwest Ordinances  Ordinance: A law, usually of a city or county  Ordinance of 1785- Set up a plan for surveying western lands (OH, IN,IL, MI, WI, MN)  Divided the land into townships (6 miles square)

5. The Northwest Ordinances  Northwest Ordinance : Set up a gov’t. in the NW territory  Provided a plan for admitting new states  Outlawed slavery  Became the most important law passed under the AOC. (by 1790’s- about 120,000 settlers)

6. Weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation

7. Shay’s Rebellion - Shays’ Rebellion (1786)- demonstrated the need for a stronger nat’l. gov’t. - Daniel Shays- Farmer who led an uprising of 1,200 farmers in Mass. due to heavy state taxes & a large amount of farm foreclosures.  Could the Nat’l. gov’t. provide for law and order?

8. Winds of Change - Annapolis Convention: (1786)- delegates from 5 states met to discuss regulating commerce w/in all the states - Called for a future meeting to be held in Philly in May of 1787- to revise the A.O.C.