1. Articles of Confederation

2. After the Revolution…
America had declared its independence from Great Britain
Needed to form a some sort of government to oversee the war effort
Came up with the Articles of Confederation

3. The Articles Submitted to the states for ratification in 1777
Ratified 4 years later
State Sovereignty
States stronger that national govt.
Why would they make the states more powerful than the central government?

4. A Limited Government
Articles established a “firm league of friendship” among the states
Bills passed with 9 out of 13 vote
That’s over 67%, or 2/3, or a supermajority
Amending (or adding amendments) to a unanimous vote
How might this back fire?

5. Structure of Government

6. Structure of Government
One legislative body (unilateral)
Each state given one vote
Smaller states concerned with being out voted due to size, especially regarding claims western lands
Congress given sole authority to govern the country
Turned into more of an advisory body rather than an authority
Could establish temporary courts to hear disputes between states

7. So what could Congress do?
Declare war and make peace
Make treaties with foreign countries
Appoint high-ranking military officials

8. So what could Congress do?
Requisition, print, and borrow money
Establish weights and measures
Hear disputes among the states related to trade or boundaries

9. What couldn’t they do? No power to raise funds for an army or navy
No power to tax, impose tariffs, or collect duties
No executive branch to enforce laws

10. What couldn’t Congress do?
No power to control trade among the states
No power to force states to honor obligations
No power to regulate the value of currency

11. What good came from the Articles?
Held the states together in a time of war
Negotiated the Treaty of Paris of 1783 with Britain
British out of North America
Gained the land covering Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Illinois, Wisconsin, and part of Minnesota.
This doubled the Nation’s size!
Established the Northwest Ordinance 1787
One of the most important things that came out of the Articles, established a process for bringing new states into the Union
Even provided a bill of rights, something that the Articles and the original Constitution lacked

13. Challenging the Articles
Shay’s Rebellion ( )
Massachusetts vets of the Revolution weren’t getting paid
Congress could raise the money (no taxes)
Courts were going to foreclose on their farms
Daniel Shay lead the farmers in a rebellion
Took over the courts so they couldn’t reposes the farms
Due to the weakness of the national government, the rebellion was very successful

14. Shay’s rebellion

15. A need to change
Shay’s rebellion illustrated the need to reorganize the national government
Leads to the constitutional convention as the founding fathers went back to the drawing board