Articles of
Confederation 4
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Our 1st Change in Style of Government
1. Definition
1st Constitution of U.S.
Blueprint for the new government
(John Hanson actually became our first president but we really
don’t remember him)
2. Weaknesses
National government not given enough power
(states didn’t want to give up their power)
Couldn’t raise taxes
Couldn’t enforce laws
Couldn’t regulate trade between states
Had to have unanimous votes for everything
3. Strengths
Kept the colonies united
Organized NW Territory by passing Land
Ordinance and Northwest Ordinance
4. Importance
The chaos caused by the national
government having so little power, showed
people that the states needed to give up
some of their power to the national
government so that the country could be
strong and protected
Northwest
Ordinance 4
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1. What Happened
Allowed Northwest Territory to be surveyed
into townships. Each township was divided
into 36 sections, each was one square mile with
section #16 set aside for public schools. This
was significant because the new lands of the
Ohio River Valley were divided fairly and
equally.
2. Effect?
1st step towards Manifest Destiny
Helped with the orderly growth of the U.S.
3. Key Points
No slavery allowed in new territories
Public education
Religious freedom
Trial by jury
One of the sections (usually in
the center) would be set up to
provide a school for the Township
because they knew for a Republic
to survive, it’s people have to be
educated. Also encouraged
churches because they wanted
people to be moral
Critical Period 4
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1. Time Period?
After adoption of Articles
1781-1787
2. Weaknesses?
No taxing power-U.S. had no money because
states did not have to pay taxes.
Inflation-U.S. printed paper money that was
worthless so your dollar was worthless.
No judicial or executive branch
Could not force states to obey laws
Tariff Wars-States charged each other too
much money to buy/sell goods across state
lines.
Jealousy-Fights over rights to rivers,
forests and most natural resources.
Foreign Affairs-Foreign countries had to
almost deal with each state separately.
Confusing
Disrespect-Foreign countries did not respect
our country at all. They were just waiting
for us to fail.
List powers of Congress:
Declare War
Make treaties
Manage Indian Affairs
Maintain Army and Navy
Coin and Borrow Money
3. Why were weaknesses a problem?
National government was too weak
Couldn’t help citizens
Couldn’t protect manufacturing or shipping
Couldn’t protect borders or citizens living on
frontier
4. How could these problems be solved?
Strengthen the national government
One advantage and one disadvantage for
each type of government.
Monarchy: Advantages=No elections, no
worries.
Disadvantages=We have no power or
control
Confederation: Advantages=States have
power.
Disadvantages=U.S. has no control
Shay’s Rebellion 4
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1. What Happened?
Shay was a patriot who lost his farm because he did
not pay back his loan from the bank. He didn’t pay
his loan because he didn’t get paid by our government
for his time in the army.
Daniel Shay led the farmers in Massachusetts in
an armed fight to keep their land
2. Short term effect?
Federal government couldn’t help because they
couldn’t force the states to send soldiers for an army
and they couldn’t get money from the states to pay
the ex-soldiers.
People realized the Articles made the government
too weak to help them
3. Long term effect?
People begin to agree that we needed a stronger
federal (national) government in order to run this new
country.
Colonies were asked to send Delegates
(representatives) to Philadelphia to figure out a way
to fix the Articles of Confederation. This convention
became known as the Constitutional Convention