Creating the Constitution:
Articles of Confederation
EQ: What compromises emerged
from the Constitutional Convention
Introduction to the Articles of Confederation
• After declaring for Independence Congress tried to unite the
states under one national government
• Most members were fearful of a National Government being
TOO strong
• Solution: Articles of Confederation
– Articles created a firm “league of friendship”-loose union
where each state remained sovereign and they cooperated
for common purposes: Why would this be beneficial to the
states?
– Put the Powers of Congress into Writing
• Run by Congress each state had 1 vote On paper Articles
gave congress several powers, but in reality the Articles were
no more effective in binding the states into a nation than a
“rope of sand”
Set Up of Government under AOC
• A single “House” of Congress was composed of 27 delegates from each state
• Delegates had to vote as a unit=One vote/state
– REGARDLESS OF POPULATION: Who is this unfair to
and why?
• Votes of 2/3 of the states were required to pass
laws or change the Articles
• Americans were nervous about a Central
Government w/too much power intentionally
limited the types of decisions that the new nat’l
gov’t could make
– Why would Americans be nervous about a central
government with too much power?
Powers of the New Nat’l Government
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Declare War
Make Treaties
Manage Indian Affairs
Maintain and Army and Navy
Coin and Borrow $
Regulate weights and measures
Est. a postal service
– Are these the only powers a government needs to
function properly? Why or Why not?
– If not, what additional powers do you think a
government needs?
What the New Nat’l Government
COULDN’T DO
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Enforce its own laws
Collect taxes
Control Trade among states
Raise Troops
Est. Nat’l courts to hear disputes b/w states
– Without these powers could the United States
Succeed?
– What power is MOST important for the Government to
have that they don’t under the AOC?
Developing Western Lands
• Congress got everyone to agree on how to develop western lands
acquired by the Treaty of Paris
• NO orderly way to divide and sell lands settlers just walked into
the wilderness and claimed land they liked
• Disputes over who owned what clogged the courts
– Solution: Land Ordinance of 1785 (lands were divided into six
miles squares called townships)
• By 1787 the government was ready to sell lands in the Northwest
Territory
– How would these lands get governed?
• Northwest Ordinance of 1787: Law divided the NW Territory into
smaller territories (each governed by a governor)
– Once 5,000 free adults males lived there they could elect its
own legislature once pop. was 60, 000 territory could apply to
become a state
– Included rights of settlers (slavery was banned)
– System worked well
Problems with the Articles: Shay’s
Rebellion
• Under the A of C, the new nation had serious $ problems paper
money printed during the war was worthless, didn’t have gold or
silver to mint coins
– States started printing their own $
• MA farmers rebel!!!
• Many farmers were in debt couldn’t make pmts on their farms and
instead of loosing their farms, going to jail for not paying taxes
FARMERS REBEL!!!
– Took up arms and led by Daniel Shay marched to Mass. Court
building closed down court houses
– Eventually farmers were defeated when militia troops came, but
actions convinced people that the new Nat'l gov’t was falling apart
What can the Government do to hold it together? What do you predict
will happen????
Problems with the Articles
Foreign Affairs in trouble
• Each state had different trade regulations
– Very difficult for foreign businessmen and
governments
– Foreign countries distrusted the Confederation
• Could not back up agreements
National Government couldn’t control trade
among states
– Many states chose to charge rival states high taxes
on goods transferred b/w states Tariff Wars
– What is a tariff??
Problems with the Articles: No Power
to Tax the States
• National Government was BROKE after the
war!!
– Could request $ from states, but it couldn’t force
states to pay taxes
– SO FEW STATES DID!!
Call for a Convention
• All the problems were concerning, but Shay’s
rebellion shocked Congress Call for a
Convention to consider “the situation of the US”
• Each state could send delegates to Philadelphia to
revise the Articles
• Father of the Constitution, James Madison, had
been studying governments and was ready for
the convention!
• A nation was made up of many groups needed a
strong central gov’t, or it would be torn apart!!