Week 13 Notes

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Week 13 Notes

• Articles of Confederation
• Weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation
• Calling for the Constitutional Convention
• Name___________________
• Period__________________
• Date____________________
• Mr. Furman

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Articles of Confederation

• A Constitution is a written plan of government.
• The Articles of Confederation, was Americas
  first constitution. The Articles were written in
  1777 during the early part of the American
  Revolution by the Second Continental Congress.
  The Articles would remain in place until 1788
  when it was replaced by our current Constitution.

Video Clip
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Articles of Confederation

• To all to whom these Presents shall come, we
  the undersigned Delegates of the States affixed
  to our Names send greeting.
• Articles of Confederation and perpetual Union
  between the states of New Hampshire,
  Massachusetts-bay Rhode Island and Providence
  Plantations, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey,
  Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North
  Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia.
• Preamble to the Articles of Confederation

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Articles of ConfederationFrom the Articles to
the Constitution
America under the Articles of Confederation
1775
1785
1795
1805
1777
1788
1775
1783
1788
Present
Revolutionary War
America under the Constitution
In 1788, the Articles of Confederation is
replaced by the current Constitution
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Weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation

• 1. The A of C created a loose alliance of
  independent states. Each state was kind of like
  its own country.

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Weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation

• 2. The Legislative branch (Congress) was the only
  branch (part) of the federal government. No
  executive branch (President) or judicial branch
  (Supreme Court).

President
Congress
Supreme Court
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Weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation

• 3. Created a weak national government, the states
  had the power not the Congress.

I feel so weak. The states have taken all of my
power
Thats right wimp! Dont forget whos in charge.
The Congress
The 13 States
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Weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation

• 4. Each state had only one vote in the Congress
  regardless of the states population.

CONNECTICUT 237,655 1 vote in
Congress DELAWARE 59,096 1 vote in
Congress GEORGIA 82,548 1
vote in Congress MARYLAND
319,728 1 vote in Congress MASSACHUSETTS
475,199 1 vote in Congress NEW HAMPSHIRE
141,899 1 vote in Congress NEW
JERSEY 184,139 1 vote in
Congress NEW YORK 426,582 1
vote in Congress NORTH CAROLINA 395,005 1
vote in Congress PENNSYLVANIA 433,611
1 vote in Congress RHODE ISLAND
69,112 1 vote in Congress SOUTH CAROLINA
249,073 1 vote in Congress VIRGINIA
821,227 1 vote in Congress

Delaware- 59,096
Virginia- 821,227
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Weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation

• 5. Congress could not tax, or enforce the laws
  that they made.

Get out of my way! I dont have to listen to
your laws, and Im taking my tax money with me.
STOP
Congress
STATES
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Weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation

• 6. Congress could not regulate trade between the
  states.

Trade
New York
Pennsylvania
Trade
Well, I guess there is nothing for me to do here.
Congress
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Weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation

• 7. Congress could not settle disputes between the
  states or within a state.
• Shays Rebellion- was an uprising in
  Massachusetts in 1786. The rebels, who were
  mainly poor farmers, were upset because of high
  property taxes on their farms. Many could not
  pay the taxes and were threatened with loss of
  their property and imprisonment for debt. They
  were led by Daniel Shays, a former soldier in the
  American Revolution. The Congress was powerless
  to do anything about the rebellion, which was
  finally stopped by Massachusetts state militia.

Oh No!, a rebellion has broken out, and there is
nothing I can do about it.
Congress
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Weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation

• 8. States could make their own money.

Im sorry but we dont accept Rhode Island money
here in Virginia
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Calling the Constitutional Convention

• Because of the weaknesses in the A of C it was
  decided that some changes need to be made.
• In 1787, delegates (representatives) from 12 of
  13 states (Rhode Island did not attend) met in
  Philadelphia, PA to discuss only changing the
• A of C. However, after a while the delegates
  realized that a whole new constitution was needed.