The Articles of
Confederation
Articles of Confederation
• What does the term
Articles mean?
• A distinct part of a
document (Contract)
dealing with a single
subject.
What do we need to know
about this first government?
• Strengths
• Weaknesses
• Why it failed?
• How it helped to write the
Constitution
Colonial Experience
• How did the Colonial Experience
shape our first Government?
• What in their lives shaped the
decisions of the Articles of
Confederation?
• What were some of these
experiences that shaped the
Articles
Experiences
• Hated the KING
• Taxation w/o
representation
• weak central power
created
Articles of Confederation Fact Sheet
1781-1787
PURPOSE
•Form a permanent union of the 13
states.
•Recognition by European nations.
•Stabilize prices & currency.
Articles of Confederation
1st Government of the US
Strengths
Send and receive foreign leaders
Won the American Revolutionary War
Named the nation
Declare War/Make Peace
Treaty of Paris
Borrow money
Northwest Ordinance
Articles of Confederation
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Weaknesses
Unicameral Legislation
2/3 majority -pass laws
No control over Interstate trade
No Chief Executive-President
No National Judicial Branch
13 of 13 amend document
No set currency
Shay’s Rebellion
• How did this Massachusetts farmer
help create a new government? (17861787)
• Central government proved to be to weak.
• Washington “what a triumph for
our enemies… to find we are
incapable of governing ourselves”
Common Traits
• All Men
• All White
• Well Educated
• Military Backgrounds
• Political Experience
• 35 Lawyers