The Articles of Confederation: the beginning of the Constitution'

1
The Articles of Confederationthe beginning of
the Constitution.

• Malori Crossley
• 3rd period

2
The Founding Fathers

• In the Declaration of Independence, the Founding
  Fathers declared their rights as Englishmen had
  been violated.
• The American colonies were breaking off from
  England.
• Wanting to rule themselves, they had to set up a
  new government.

3
Americas First Constitution

• Adopted by the Second Continental Congress in
  1777
• Ratified by all thirteen colonies in 1781
• Ratified just eight short months before the
  battle of Yorktown.

4
A New Government

• The Founding Fathers didnt want to give this new
  government the rights they had just denied the
  King of England.
• They instead made a government exactly opposite
  of the English government they were now fighting
  against.

5
Pendulum Opposites two types of government
British Government
The Articles of Confederation
We need a compromise!
6
The Articles

• Each individual state allowed to make its own
  currency.
• Takes nine states ratification to pass a law.
• To change the Articles of Confederation took all
  thirteen states ratification.
• Each state would receive one vote in Congress.

7
The Articles

• Legislative branch
• Congress is the legislative body
• No executive branch
• To eliminate monarchy
• No judicial branch
• Individual states have courts but not the federal
  government.

8
Congress under the Articles

• Could only advise, advocate, and appeal.
• Could not tax
• Only state governments could tax
• No power to regulate trade
• Each individual state regulated trade in that
  state. Problems with this included various
  tariffs (also known as customs duties or indirect
  taxes) and currency rates.
• No power to enforce laws
• There was no strong government re-enforcement of
  the laws- state or federal.

9
Articles Successes

• Kept the thirteen states together through the
  Revolutionary War
• Negotiated the Treaty of Paris 1783
• Provided a model for new government
• The Constitution followed the Articles
• Northwest Territories
• Set precedent for admitting new states into the
  union.

10
Articles Successes

• Land Ordinance of 1785
• Raised revenue for federal government through
  land sales.
• Land was divided into townships- 36 square miles-
  then divided into square mile lots. Land could
  then be further divided and sold.
• Provided for federal funding of public schooling.

11
Articles Successes

• Northwest Land Ordinance 1787
• Northwest Territory to be divided into not less
  than three nor more than five States
• Three-stage method for admitting new states set
  up.
• A bill of rights protecting religious freedom,
  benefit of trial by jury, and other individual
  rights.
• Encouraged education, forbade slavery.

12
Weaknesses of the Articles

• Foreign trade and policy
• Congress didnt have power to control trade, each
  state making its own rules.
• Interstate Finances
• Congress could print money but couldnt back it,
  because Congress couldnt tax.
• Each state could tariff other states goods.

13
Weaknesses of the Articles

• Each state had its own currency and controlled
  its own trade.
• Purposely designed to be a weak central
  government.
• The states power was greater than the central or
  federal government.
• More loyalty was shown to individual states than
  to the country as a whole.

14
The Articles of Confederation led to

• The United States Constitution

15
Hyperlinks

• http//www.earlyamerica.com/earlyamerica/milestone
  s/articles/
• http//www.loc.gov/rr/program/bib/ourdocs/articles
  .html
• http//www.barefootsworld.net/aoc1777.html
• http//articlesofconfederation.com/
• http//www.archives.gov/historical-docs/document.h
  tml?doc2title.rawArticles20of20Confederation