The Articles of
Confederation
PowerPoint Presentation
 Constitution
 Central Government
 Bill of Rights
 Congress
 States’ Rights
 Ratified
Part of the
Forming a United
States Government
Unit
Lesson 1 of 8
Forming A United States Government Unit
The Articles of Confederation – PowerPoint #1
VOCABULARY
Constitution –
Congress –
Confederation –
Ratified –
Articles of Confederation –
Central government –
Bill of Rights –
Why did the states
want a weak
central
government?
And the story
continues . . .
•
•
•
•
In 1776, once independence was declared, the states
began forming their own governments while the
Continental Congress began drafting plans for the nation
as a whole.
Washington traps Cornwallis at Yorktown.
Cornwallis surrenders, the Revolutionary war is over!
Now that the United States is an independent nation, the
difficult challenge of creating a national government
begins!
Don’t call me a colony anymore!
The thirteen colonies are no
longer ruled by the British King
George III. The colonies won
the Revolutionary War and are
now FREE to rule themselves.
They are now called states!
•
•
•
In 1776, the Founding Fathers created a document called
the Declaration of Independence which not only declared
independence from Britain, it also created a new nation
made up of thirteen independent states.
The thirteen former colonies had little experience working
together (do you see where this might be a problem?) )
In the past, Britain had made all the major decisions. Now,
the Americans had the monumental task of establishing
thirteen state governments and a federal government.
• The colonists remembered all the harsh laws the British
government imposed on them throughout the years!
• The Americans may not have realized it at the time, but the
British laws they were forced to obey shaped the way they
would view their future government.
• The Founding Fathers would create a United States
government, and the states would create local governments,
that protected the freedoms they did not have while ruled
under the British king.
In-Class Note-Taking
Britain Had Too Much Power
British Parliament
• The thirteen American
colonies did not like the
control Britain had over
them.
• The colonies hardly had
any power over their own
local governments!!
• The states would make
sure that never happened
again.
King George III
P
O
W
ER
Over the
colonies!
In-Class Note-Taking
What Do You
Think?
What do you think the states
FEARED in creating an American
government? What caused them to
become so fearful?
Limit the power of
the United
States
government!
The states didn’t want to give up
their power to a big government –
they were fearful of a king ruling
over them again!
In-Class Note-Taking
Central Government
The political authority which governs the entire nation.
(A government over all the states)
States
States
States
States
States
States
States
States
States
States
States
States
States
The states didn’t want a LARGE central government
telling them what they would do!
In-Class Note-Taking
Central Government
- Over all the states -
States
States
States
States
States
States
States
States States States
States States States
The states wanted a SMALL, WEAK central government
that held no power!
State Governments
• In forming a government,
most states wrote a
constitution: an instruction
book for how to run the
government.
• Each state wanted to create
its own constitution to:
– Spell out the rights of all citizens
living there.
– Set limits on the power of
government.
The first constitution of the state of
Pennsylvania, 1776.
Structure of State
Government
• The new state governments were similar to the
colonial governments.
• The states divided political power between an
executive and a legislature.
• The legislature was elected by the voters to pass
laws.
• Most legislatures had an upper house (senate)
and a lower house (house of representatives).
• Most all the states during this time elected a
governor who executed (carried out) the laws.
State Legislature
“Congress”
State Governor
Upper House
“Senate”
Lower House
“House of Representatives”
White men vote and
elect members to the
two houses.
(Sorry girls you don’t
get the right to vote
for another 100 years!)
A Bill of . . .
WHAT?
• The state of Virginia limited its
governmental power by including a
Bill of Rights in its constitution.
• Virginia’s Bill of Rights is a document
that protected its citizens by
guaranteeing their freedom of religion
and freedom of the press.
• It guaranteed citizens the right to a trial
by jury.
• Other states followed Virginia’s example
and included a Bill of Rights in their own
constitutions.
Forming a
central
government
to unite the
states
• In 1776, as citizens were forming state governments, the
Continental Congress was drafting a plan for the nation as a
whole.
• Delegates (representatives from each state) believed that the
colonies needed to be united by a central government (a
body of individuals that make laws for the entire country.) in
order for the new government to survive.
• It was difficult to write a constitution that all the states would
approve. States did not want to give up power!
In-Class Note-Taking
Central
Government
- Over all the states States
States
States
States
States
States
States
States
States
States
States
States
States
Some delegates of the Continental Congress believed the states
needed to be united under a central government, yet still have
their separate local governments.
Example: Each classroom is separate, but still part of the school!
Articles of Confederation
• In 1776, few Americans saw
themselves as citizens of one
nation.
• Instead, they felt loyal to their own
state.
• Also, people were fearful of
replacing the “tyranny” of British
rule with another strong
government.
• Still, after much debate the
Continental Congress completed
the Articles of Confederation –
the First U.S. Constitution!
Confederation =
a partnership or alliance
High-Five! WOO HOO!
We did it! We made the
FIRST United States
government!
We. Are. Awesome!!
• The Articles of Confederation was the United States
Founding Fathers first attempt at creating a Constitution.
• It created a confederation (alliance) of independent states.
And acted as the first real government between the states!
YIPPIE!
The United States and its perfectly written Articles of
Confederation lived happily ever after!
Cue the dancing fairies! This story is OVER!
Not so fast!
(this story is far from over!)
In-Class Note-Taking
Central Government
- Over all the states -
States
States
States
States
States States
States
States
States
States
States
States
States
The Articles of Confederation gave the central
government NO power and the states ALL the power!
This is a BIG problem . . .
In-Class Note-Taking
What did the United States
government look like under the
Articles of Confederation?
The United States government
(Congress) could . . .
The United States government
(Congress) could NOT . . .
•
•
•
•
• Congress could not regulate
trade between states and
foreign countries.
• It could not pass tax laws.
• To raise money, Congress had
to ask the states for it!
However, no state could be
forced to give money.
Declare war on other countries.
Appoint military officers.
Coin (make) money.
Maintain relationships with
foreign countries.
• Pass laws (but 9 of the 13
states had to approve the law
to make it official).
The Articles limited the power of the United States Congress and preserved
the powers of the states.
In-Class Note-Taking
Make A Connection!
The science fiction writer Kim Stanley Robinson once said,
“Money equals power,
Power makes the law,
And law makes the
government.”
If this statement is true, what does it say
about the United States government who
under the Articles of Confederation are not
allowed to tax the states?
It meant the United
States government
was . . .
Weak!
No president
•
•
•
•
In-Class Note-Taking
No courts
No way to enforce the laws.
The government had NO money!
There was no president to carry out laws.
It was up to the states to enforce laws passed by Congress.
There was no system of courts to settle disputes between
states.
• The Articles created a very loose alliance between the
government and the thirteen states.
Why did the states
want a weak
central
government?
Sites & Sources
The following sites and sources were used in this PowerPoint presentation for clipart, content,
and font selections:
Babuskadesigns: www.etsy.com/shop/BabushkaDesigns
Clipart @MyClipArtStore: http://www.myclipartstore.com
Pickychicken clipart: www.etsy.com/shop/pickychicken
Clementine Digitals clipart: www.etsy.com/shop/ClementineDigitals
KevinandAmanda fonts www.kevinandamanda.com/fonts/
Dollar Photo Club: www.dollarphotoclub.com
Big Stock Photos: www.bigstockphoto.com
InknLittleThings: www.etsy.com/shop/InknLittleThings.com
Davidson, J. (2003). The American Nation: Beginnings through 1877. Needham: Prentice Hall
Boorstin, D. & Kelley, B. (1992). The History of the United States. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice Hall
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