The
Critical
Period
Articles of Confederation
• During Revolution, the Second Continental Congress
had to create a government for America
• Articles of Confederation were not ratified until 1781
– They established a “firm league of friendship” among the
states
– Each state kept its “sovereignty, freedom, jurisdiction”
• Government structure:
– Unicameral congress
– Each state had one vote
– Powers of Congress:
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Make war and peace
Make treaties
Borrow money
Set up post office
Raise an army by asking
states for troops
• Weaknesses of the Articles
of Confederation:
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No executive branch
No judicial branch
Congress could not tax
Could not regulate trade
between states
– States could make their own
money
– All 13 states had to agree to
amend the Articles
The Critical Period
• Revolution ended in 1781
• US had many economic and political problems
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Huge debt from the war that Congress could not pay
States made their own money
States bickered with each other over trade and land
States did not give money to the government
States made treaties with other nations
• Violence broke out in several places
• Shay’s Rebellion (Massachusetts, 1786)
– Soldiers had returned to farms and lost them to debt
– They rebelled and the Mass. militia had to put down the
rebellion
• This made many leaders realize the current
government was not working
• The Articles had created a national government that
was too weak
– It could not deal with the nation’s troubles
• Leaders began calling for a meeting to “amend” the
Articles
• Delegates from 12 states met in Philadelphia in May
of 1787