1. Why did the Articles of Confederation fail?

2. The Albany Plan (1754)
At the Albany Congress, Benjamin Franklin proposed
an early idea for unity
– June / July 1754
• Known as “the Albany Plan”
– “Grand Council” (Representative)
– “General President” (Executive)
• The plan was rejected by the individual
colonies for fear it would destroy their
sovereignty

3. What problems did the American government face during the Revolution?

4. Challenges of the Revolution
No national army / navy
Little money
Poor economy
Invasion
• Most of all, Congress lacked a national government to conduct and run the war effort effectively

5. Articles of Confederation
• The Articles of Confederation were America’s first real national government
– Signed in York, PA in 1777
• Established a “firm league of friendship” between the colonies
– Kept individual sovereignty among states
– Came together for “mutual welfare and protection”

6. What were some of the benefits of the Articles of Confederation?

7. Benefits
Appealed to the states (former colonies) who wanted limited government!
State Sovereignty (states kept their power)
The individual states were used to handling their own affairs
Articles of Confederation supported the rights of the states

8. Why did George Washington refer to the Articles of Confederation as a “shadow without substance?”

9. No Executive Branch
The nation did not have a President of Chief Executive
Acts of Congress were not enforceable
State leaders did what was good for the states and not for the country

10. No Judicial Branch
The nation lacked a national court system (no Supreme Court!)
Capital cases were handled by committees in Congress
No universal interpretation of laws and punishments

11. Limitations of Congress
Congress was unicameral
Laws were difficult to pass, needed approval of nine states
Congress was responsible to the states, not the people
Congress had no power to collect taxes, regulate trade, coin money, or establish a military

12. Currency Issues The United States did not have a common currency
Americans carried money from the federal government, state government, and foreign nations
That meant that if you were a merchant/trader you would need federal, local, and out-of-state currency to operate your business!!

13. Debts
Congress could not tax the people and depended on money from the states.
The U.S. was unable to pay its debts
Examples:
- The U.S. owed money to France, Holland, and Spain for loans made during the Revolutionary War.
- The U.S. had not paid many of their own soldiers

14. Domestic Problems
The U.S. lacked the military power to defend itself against foreign or domestic enemies.
States acted as individual countries and seldom agreed
Examples:
- Connecticut and Virginia almost went to war over land claims
- Pennsylvania went to war with several other states including Maryland and Connecticut over land claims

15. International Problems: Spain
Spain wanted to stop America from taking lands in Florida/ Gulf Coast
Closed the lower Mississippi River to American shipping in 1784
Created a major economic disadvantage for the western farmers who depended on the river for transportation of goods!

16. International Problems: Britain
Treaty of Paris of 1783 that ended the Revolutionary War, Britain was to withdraw from the western territory (past the Appalachian Mountains)
Yet the British troops continued to occupy several strategic forts in the Great Lakes region
Also the British kept American merchants out of the West Indies/other markets to limit trade

17. Solution: The Constitution!