Unit 2: What shaped the Founders’
thinking about government?
Lesson 11
How did the Articles of Confederation organize the
first national government?
Learning Targets
At the conclusion of this lesson, you should be able to
1. Explain how the Articles of Confederation
organized the national government
2. Explain how problems with the Articles of
Confederation caused the Founders to write a
new constitution
3. Explain the ideas and events that influenced the
writing of the Articles of Confederation
4. Describe the achievements of the country under
the Articles of Confederation
5. Describe the problems with the Articles of
Confederation
6. Describe the causes of Shays’ Rebellion
Terms to Understand
Article of Confederation
National government
Northwest Ordinance
Shays’ Rebellion
1. What are the Articles of
Confederation?
• Nation’s ___________constitution
• A need to have a national
government to _______ the states
and to conduct the war.
2.
What problems did the Founders face in
writing the Articles of Confederation?
1. People’s fear of a ____________ national
government (King)
–Deprive people of their ____________
–Too far __________________
2. Fear that some states would have more
________ in a national government than
other states.
–How many votes/state?
{7 small states vs 6 large states}
2. What problems did the Founders face in
writing the Articles of Confederation? Cont…
• Majority rule – minority rights:
Decision in the Congress would be
made by _________ vote. Some leaders
were afraid that the majority would use
its power for its own __________at the
expense of those who were in the
minority.
Could this develop factions?
Yes or no Explain
3.
How did the Articles of Confederation
organize the national government?
• National government would be a
___________, Congress. No executive or
judicial branches
• Most of the powers of government with
the ____________________
–Every action taken by Congress had to
be with the consent, approval, and
_____________________ of the states.
• Each state _________ vote in Congress
4. What did the national government achieve
under the Articles of Confederation?
ADVANTAGES
• Successfully waged the war for
____________ from Great Britain
• Treaty of ________ – to end the
American Revolution against GB
• Each state ______ the laws of the
other states (marriage)
4. What did the national government achieve
under the Articles of Confederation? Cont...
ADVANTAGES
• Passed the Northwest Ordinance 1787 –
Most important ____ passed by Congress
–Right to organize their ____________
governments
–Provided public __________________
–Forbade _____________________
–____________freedom of worship, the
right to trial by jury, and due process of
law.
5.
What problems did the country experience under
the Articles of Confederation?
DISADVANTAGES
• Congress:
– Did not have any ________ and it did not have
the power to raise money.
– No _________ over the states governments or
their citizens.
– Could not make the states live up to trade
agreements with other _________________.
– No power to regulate______among the states.
• Citizens thought that their property rights were
threatened. Explain how factions were involved.
6. Why was Shays’ Rebellion important?
• The national government had been
unable to put down the rebellion.
People were asking how the country
could continue to exist if it could not
maintain ____________________.
• National government could not control the
people – could not stop the ______________!
• Shays’ rebellion proved the weakness of the
________________________ government.
7.
How did Shays’ Rebellion force people to examine
the weaknesses of the national government?
• The national government could not stop the
______________________ from rebelling.
• Therefore, the Congress called on all the
delegates to convene at _______________ to
discuss the Article of Confederation’s
weaknesses.
• “for the sole and express purpose of revising the
Articles of Confederation”
– Do you know what happens at this meeting????