Articles of Confederation

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Articles of Confederation

• By Miss Springborn
• Team 6- Social Studies

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Major Problem Who should have more power?

• State Government or National Government?

verses
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Why Would Americans Fear having a strong national
government????

• King George and the way he trampled their rights

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1777

• Articles of Confederation are drafted
• Fully ratified (approved) in 1781
• Confederation- loose grouping of states joined
  together under one government

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Think about this

• Why must a government be able to collect taxes???

pay debt
roads
army/navy
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It said

• States free and independent from each other
• 9 of 13 states needed to agree to make decisions
• Needed all states to make amendments to
  constitution
• Created a weak central government

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More issues to deal with

• Most power went to states
• States had power over money, treaties, army, and
  declaring war
• Congress could not tax or control trade
• There was no Supreme Court and no President

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Why could it be bad if the government has no
president or no national court??
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What problems would the United States face as it
started out as a new country???Think about that
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1785 LAND ORDINANCE

• Set up a process to settle the new territories
  and create new states
• When the population in an area reached 60,000
  then the territory could apply for admission to
  the union as a state
• New states would be equal in power to the 13
  original states.

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More Problems with the Articles

• Debt (owing money to others)
• America was heavily in debt for war costs
• It had no power to tax the people
• Thereforeno power to collect money
• States ignored request for money or taxesdidnt
  want to help

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Problem 2- Economy

• There was a depression after the war with
  inflation (increase in prices of goods and
  services combined with reduced value of money)
• Early attempts at the early money system were a
  disaster

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Can you think of any ways to solve the problems
of the Articles???
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Problem 3- States fighting

• Some states disagree about taxes and trade

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Problem 4- Foreign Problems

• The British still held forts in the Northwest
  Territory
• The British and French supported the Natives to
  stop the US from expanding into the Northwest

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Shays Rebellion January 1787

• The Government rejected debtor relief and seized
  property (farms) for non-payment of taxes
• Angry, backcountry farmers under the leadership
  of Daniel Shay tried to seize the arsenal in
  Springfield, Massachusetts

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What Shays Rebellion proves

• Despite the rebellions defeat, national
  political leaders were very concerned
• I am mortified beyond expression said by George
  Washington
• about the rebellion

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What problems did Shays rebellion show our
country to have???
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A call for a National Government

• A group of national leaders emerge, advocating a
  stronger central government.
• Congress reluctantly called for a second
  convention

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For the Sole purpose of revising the Articles of
Confederation

• Not exactly what happened thoughstay tuned?

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What could leaders at the constitutional
convention do to make the government stronger??
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Coming Attractions
Constitutional Convention