A New nation emerges

1
A New nation emerges

• Articles of the Confederation

2
Standard V and Essential questions

• SSUSH5 The student will explain specific events
  and key ideas that brought about the adoption and
  implementation of the United States Constitution
• Why did America choose the Articles of
  Confederation to be their governing system?
• What weaknesses existed in the Articles of
  Confederation?

3
Deciding on a government

• What kind of government should a free country
  have?
• What is a President? What do they do?

4
The country agrees on a few things

• 1 - a republic should be created - government
  run by people through elected officials. Why?
• 2 - Congress was for the most part a wartime
  necessity. Why?
• 3 - The country should be a confederacy -
  allegiance of separate governments working
  together. Why?

5
Articles of Confederation

• Articles of Confederation from History.state.gov
• Articles were debated upon during the
  Revolutionary war
• Served as government of the USA from 1781-1787
• Please read the link and answer the accompanied
  notes on the reading.

6
Continental Congress of 1777

• Hammers out the Articles of Confederation and
  approve them in 1781
• Limits the power of the national government
  Makes state governments very powerful.
• The articles are written in the midst of the war.

7
Questions for you to ponder.

• Divide your white board or sheet of paper in half
  like below
• Please write the pros and cons of having a strong
  state gov. as opposed to a strong central gov.

Pro Strong state gov. Con Strong state gov.
8
What the Articles Decree

• 1 branch of government (legislative)
• Carries out duties of today's exec. and leg.
• States had their own courts
• CONGRESS COULD NOT TAX HAD TO PETITION STATES
  FOR MONEY
• No power to force states to obey Congress

9
Articles continued

• Each state sent as many delegates as they wanted
  to Congress, but only had 1 vote per state
• Money legislation required 9/13 votes
• Changes to the Articles required 13/13 votes

Independence Hall Philly, PA
10
State Constitutions

• Each state made its own laws that were far more
  powerful than Congress laws
• Pennsylvania is the first state to give ordinary
  men voting rights (revolutionary undertaking)
• IN all other states, only men that owned land
  could vote

11
The Articles begin to fail

• States were in debt from the war so citizens and
  other states are being taxed.
• Members of Congress are not attending regularly.
• Lack of national courts and economic practices
  are hurting the country.
• American challenge of authority is getting out of
  hand!!!!!

12
Huge argument ensues

• PRO ARTICLES OF CONF.
• Many argue that the Articles are created to
  maintain a republic and they are doing just that.
• Although there is not as much order as they would
  like, the Articles are created to govern, not
  keep order.
• A strong central government would be no different
  than a monarchy.

• CON ARTICLES OF CONF.
• Men involved in Congress argue that the Articles
  are fundamentally flawed.
• If order is not maintained by the government,
  then nationwide anarchy will ensue.
• The history of republics show that if too many
  people are given too much power, the system
  fails. (Roman Empire, European history)
• America is a model for the world, they must prove
  they are worthy of independence.

13
1786 CONVENTION

• Nationalists, as the opposition to the Articles
  becomes known as, holds a convention in
  Annapolis, MD to discuss flaws in the government.
  (ANNAPOLIS CONVENTION)
• Only 12 delegates from 5 states show up.
• Accomplish setting a meeting time a year later in
  Philly in 1787.

14
WEAKNESSES OF ARTICLES

• 1. Weak central government / state gov. too
  strong
• 2. Anarchy in the country (states fighting one
  another)
• 3. Congress had no power and never met. Very
  inefficient (too many people making decisions)
  could not tax w/o permission
• 4. One branch of government
• 5. Had no national military
• 6. No central court system
• 7. Difficult to make changes

15
Shays Rebellion

• Massachusetts badly in debt
• Taxes citizens and tells them that if they dont
  pay in Gold or Silver, their property will be
  confiscated.
• Action similar to way British taxed the colonies.
• Daniel Shays and his poor farmer buddies lead a
  resistance movement.
• The federal government is helpless in the matter,
  and Mass. fights itself.

16
Governing in the west

• Settlers who settled in the west after the
  Revolutionary war were provoking war with the
  Indians by snatching land that the USA had yet to
  negotiate away from the indians.
• The government could not afford to pay for a war
  in which unregulated settlement provoked.

17
Land Ordinance of 1785

• Grid system setup by the government to distribute
  the land. This led to land speculation

18
Northwest Ordinance of 1787

• Setup a system to govern the western territories
  which were not yet states.
• http//www.loc.gov/rr/program/bib/ourdocs/northwes
  t.html - primary document of the northwest
  ordinance as passed by the Confederation
  Congress.
• See p. 137