Lesson 8.1a: The Articles of Confederation

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Lesson 8.1a The Articles of Confederation

• Today we will analyze the Articles of
  Confederation.

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Vocabulary

• republican form of government in which people
  elect the people who govern them
• bill a written paper containing a statement of
  details or facts
• constitution a written outline of government
• establish create or set up
• ordinance a law

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What We Already Know

• The Enlightenment spread the ideas that people
  had rights that came from
• God and that
• governments should exist to protect those rights.

John Locke
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What We Already Know

• For eight years, the United States fought a
  bitter war against a government that threatened
  those rights.

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What We Already Know

• During the Revolutionary War, the Continental
  Congress had served as the government for the
  United States.

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• Once the American colonies declared independence,
  each of the states had to create its own
  government.
• Some state governments were separated into three
  branches (executive, legislative, judicial), to
  prevent them from becoming too powerful.

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New State Governments

• Once the American colonies declared independence,
  each of the states created a constitution to
  establish its own government.
• The framers of these early state constitutions
  did not want to destroy the political systems
  that they had had as colonies.
• They simply wanted to make those systems more
  democratic.

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Most states tried to make their governments more
democratic.

• separate branches
• weaker executive branches
• abolition of slavery
• bill of rights

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New State Governments

• Some states experimented with creating separate
  branches of government, giving different powers
  to different branches.
• By creating separate branches, Americans hoped to
  prevent the government from becoming too powerful.

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New State Governments

• Nearly all states tried to weaken the executive
  branch.
• Terms of office were usually short, and elections
  were held frequently.

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New State Governments

• Some states began passing laws gradually
  abolishing slavery.
• In 1783 a Massachusetts court ended slavery when
  it ruled that all men are born free and equal.
• By 1786 five states had abolished slavery.

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New State Governments

• Some states included a bill of rights in their
  constitutions as a way to keep the government
  under control.
• The idea of a bill of rights came from the
  English Bill of Rights of 1689.
• This was a list of rights that the government
  guaranteed to English citizens.

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New State Governments

• Not all the states had a bill of rights, and not
  all of them abolished slavery.
• All of them did have a republican form of
  government.
• These early state constitutions would later serve
  as a pattern for the U.S. Constitution.

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1. What effect did state governments have on
national politics?

1. They provided a solid foundation for the U.S.
   Constitution.
2. They abolished slavery everywhere.
3. They created constitutions that contained bills
   of rights.
4. The demanded that Congress repeal the Northwest
   Ordinance.

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1. What effect did state governments have on
national politics?

1. They provided a solid foundation for the U.S.
   Constitution.
2. They abolished slavery everywhere.
3. They created constitutions that contained bills
   of rights.
4. The demanded that Congress repeal the Northwest
   Ordinance.

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What form of government did all the new states
create?

1. republican
2. democratic
3. parliamentary
4. magisterial
5. bureaucratic

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2. Why did most of the new state constitutions
create governments with separate branches?

1. It was the way government had been organized back
   in England.
2. Separate branches would make the governments
   strong and effective.
3. Each branch could operate independently of the
   other two.
4. They wanted to prevent those govern-ments from
   becoming too powerful.

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2. Why did most of the new state constitutions
create governments with separate branches?

1. It was the way government had been organized back
   in England.
2. Separate branches would make the governments
   strong and effective.
3. Each branch could operate independently of the
   other two.
4. They wanted to prevent those govern-ments from
   becoming too powerful.

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Track with me

• During the Revolutionary War, each state was
  independent, with a republican form of
  government.
• The war showed the need for the states to work
  together.
• This idea of united we stand, divided we fall
  carried on after independence was won.

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The Articles of Confederation

• In 1776, the Continental Congress began to
  develop a plan for a national government.
• Congress agreed that the government should be a
  republic, and it organized itself based on the
  model that the British Parliament provided.

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The Articles of Confederation

• It was agreed that every state was given one
  vote, regardless of size.
• Although the delegates disagreed about several
  issues, Congress eventually arrived at a final
  plan, called the Articles of Confederation.

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Because many Americans feared a strong government
, the Articles of Confederation gave the national
government few powers.

• power to wage war
• power to make peace
• power to sign treaties
• power to issue money
• power to control Western lands

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The Articles of Confederation

• The Articles created a government with only a
  legislative branch, the Congress.
• Each state, large or small, had only one vote in
  Congress.
• What was worse, with no executive branch, the
  national government could not enforce its own
  laws.

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The most important powers were left to the states.

• to set taxes
• to enforce national laws

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Powers of the government
issue money
enforce laws
make peace
sign treaties
control Western lands
wage war
one vote in Congress
collect taxes
National government
State governments
wage war
enforce laws
make peace
collect taxes
sign treaties
one vote in Congress
issue money
control Western lands
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3. Who had the most powers under the Articles of
Confederation?

1. the national government
2. the state governments
3. Federalists
4. republicans

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3. Who had the most powers under the Articles of
Confederation?

1. the national government
2. the state governments
3. Federalists
4. republicans

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4. What was the United States Congress modeled
after?

1. the German Reichstag
2. the British Parliament
3. the French Estates General
4. the Russian Duma
5. the Spanish Diet

Choose all that are true!
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4. What was the United States Congress modeled
after?

1. the German Reichstag
2. the British Parliament
3. the French Estates General
4. the Russian Duma
5. the Spanish Diet

Choose all that are true!
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The Problem of Western Land

• One issue that had stood in the way of the
  ratification of the Articles of Confederation was
  the issue of Western land.

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The Problem of Western Lands

• Some of the smaller states had no western lands,
  which could be sold to pay debts left from the
  Revolution.

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The Problem of Western Lands

• States without such lands to sell were at a
  disadvantage.
• They wanted the national government to control
  the western states.

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The Problem of Western Lands

• Over the next three years, the other states gave
  up title to the western land.
• The small states finally voted to ratify the
  Articles.

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The Land Ordinance of 1785

• The Ordinance established townships in what would
  become known as the Northwest Territory.

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The Land Ordinance of 1785

• It staked out six-mile square townships.
• It also set aside one square-mile section of land
  for schools.
• This was the first time the national government
  promoted public education.

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The Northwest Ordinance

• It described how the Northwest Territory was to
  be governed.
• As each territory grew in population, it would
  gain rights to self-government.
• When there were 60,000 people, they could apply
  to become a new state.
• This was important because it set a pattern for
  the orderly growth of the United States.

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Slavery was banned in the Northwest Territory.
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Religious freedom was guaranteed.
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5. What issues affected the Western territories
between 1775 and 1787?

1. Who would control the territories
2. How to divide western lands
3. Making peace with the Indians
4. How to settle the western lands
5. How to buy more land from foreign countries

Choose all that are true!
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5. What issues affected the Western territories
between 1775 and 1787?

1. Who would control the territories
2. How to divide western lands
3. Making peace with the Indians
4. How to settle the western lands
5. How to buy more land from foreign countries

Choose all that are true!
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6. What did the Land Ordinance of 1785 do?

• The Ordinance established townships in what would
  become known as the Northwest Territory.
• Each township was a six-mile square (36 sq.
  miles).
• One square-mile section was set aside to earn
  money for schools.

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7. What did the Northwest Ordinance do?

1. It outlined when the territories could govern
   themselves.
2. It established settlers' rights to religious
   freedom.
3. It set a pattern for the orderly growth of the
   United States.
4. It allowed Congress to purchase land from Mexico.
5. It banned slavery in the Northwest Territory.

Choose all that are true!
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7. What did the Northwest Ordinance do?

1. It outlined when the territories could govern
   themselves.
2. It established settlers' rights to religious
   freedom.
3. It set a pattern for the orderly growth of the
   United States.
4. It allowed Congress to purchase land from Mexico.
5. It banned slavery in the Northwest Territory.

Choose all that are true!
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7. What did the Northwest Ordinance do?

1. It outlined when the territories could govern
   themselves.
2. It established settlers' rights to religious
   freedom.
3. It set a pattern for the orderly growth of the
   United States.
4. It allowed Congress to purchase land from Mexico.
5. It banned slavery in the Northwest Territory.

Choose all that are true!
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7. What did the Northwest Ordinance do?

1. It outlined when the territories could govern
   themselves.
2. It established settlers' rights to religious
   freedom.
3. It set a pattern for the orderly growth of the
   United States.
4. It allowed Congress to purchase land from Mexico.
5. It banned slavery in the Northwest Territory.

Choose all that are true!
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7. What did the Northwest Ordinance do?

1. It outlined when the territories could govern
   themselves.
2. It established settlers' rights to religious
   freedom.
3. It set a pattern for the orderly growth of the
   United States.
4. It allowed Congress to purchase land from Mexico.
5. It banned slavery in the Northwest Territory.

Choose all that are true!
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Lesson 8.1b Shays Rebellion

• Today we will explain the connection between the
  weaknesses in the Articles of Confederation and
  Shays Rebellion.

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Vocabulary

• levy to establish and collect a tax or a fee
• strength something you are good at
• weakness something you dont do well
• debt something owed, usually money

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What We Already Know

• When Britain threatened the rights of the
  colonists, farmers and merchants at Lexington and
  Concord rose up in arms against what they saw as
  injustice.

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What We Already Know

• With independence came the opportunity and
  responsibility to create an effective government.

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What We Already Know

• The first American government was intentionally
  made weak by a people that had fought a desperate
  war for freedom against a powerful and abusive
  government.

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Strengths of the Articles of Confederation
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One strength of the Articles of Confederation
was that they left important powers to the
states.
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The Confederation Congress was too weak to solve
the nations problems.
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Weaknesses of the Articles

• Aside from its handling of land issues, the
  Confederation Congress had few successes.
• By the end of the Revolutionary War, the United
  States faced serious problems, and the
  Confederation Congress did not have enough power
  to solve them.

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Weaknesses of the Articles

• Debt was a critical problem for the government.
• Congress had borrowed large sums to pay for the
  Revolutionary War.
• Much of that money was owed to soldiers of its
  own army.

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Weaknesses of the Articles

• Upset at not being paid, several hundred soldiers
  surrounded the Pennsylvania State House where
  Congress was meeting in June 1783.
• The soldiers threatened the legislators,
  thrusting their bayonets through the windows.
• The delegates were forced to flee the city.
• The event was a clear sign of Congresss weakness.

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Weaknesses of the Articles

• Even if Congress wanted to pay the soldiers, it
  did not have the power to levy taxes under the
  Articles of Confederation.

• The national government depended on the states to
  send money to Congress.
• But the states sent very little money.

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Weaknesses of the Articles

• Congress was not alone in facing economic crises.
  
• People throughout the nation faced hard times.
• In Massachusetts, the economy was so bad that
  people rose up in arms against the government.

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8. What were the strengths of the Articles of
Confederation?

1. They empowered Congress to make treaties.
2. They empowered Congress to enforce laws.
3. They empowered Congress to levy and collect taxes
   and regulate trade.
4. They left important powers to the states.
5. They created a powerful chief executive to run
   the government.

Choose all that are true!
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8. What were the strengths of the Articles of
Confederation?

1. They empowered Congress to make treaties.
2. They empowered Congress to enforce laws.
3. They empowered Congress to levy and collect taxes
   and regulate trade.
4. They left important powers to the states.
5. They created a powerful chief executive to run
   the government.

Choose all that are true!
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8. What were the weaknesses of the Articles of
Confederation?

1. Congress had no power to enforce laws, collect
   taxes, or regulate trade.
2. They withheld important powers from the states.
3. They lacked a chief executive to run the
   government.
4. They contained a limited bill of rights.
5. They were difficult for the states to amend.

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8. What were the weaknesses of the Articles of
Confederation?

1. Congress had no power to enforce laws, collect
   taxes, or regulate trade.
2. They withheld important powers from the states.
3. They lacked a chief executive to run the
   government.
4. They contained a limited bill of rights.
5. They were difficult for the states to amend.

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The governments weakness led to violence

• In Massachusetts, farmers who could not pay their
  tax debts lost their land and were jailed.
• In 1787, when the state legislature refused to
  provide relief from their debts, about 1500
  farmers rebelled.

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The governments weakness led to violence

• This rebellion
• was led by a
• Revolutionary War veteran named
• Daniel Shays.

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The governments weakness led to violence

• Shays rebels often invaded court rooms to
  prevent judges from ruling against debtors.

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The governments weakness led to violence

• In January 1787, Shays and his men marched on a
  federal arsenal
• a place to store weapons.

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The governments weakness led to violence

• The arsenal was defended by 900 militia soldiers
  from Massachusetts.

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The governments weakness led to violence

• The militia defeated them, killing four
  protesters.
• Although the protesters were defeated, they won
  the sympathy of many Americans.

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The governments weakness led to violence

• Americas leaders realized that an armed uprising
  of common farmers spelled danger for the nation.
• Some leaders hoped that the nations ills could
  be solved by strengthening the national
  government.

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Why was the Confederation Congress not able to
pay the soldiers who fought during the
Revolutionary War?

1. It still owed too much money to France and Spain.
2. The Constitution prohibited cash payments to the
   military.
3. The government was bankrupt after buying
   Louisiana from France.
4. It did not have the power to levy taxes.

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Why was the Confederation Congress not able to
pay the soldiers who fought during the
Revolutionary War?

1. It still owed too much money to France and Spain.
2. The Constitution prohibited cash payments to the
   military.
3. The government was bankrupt after buying
   Louisiana from France.
4. It did not have the power to levy taxes.

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9. What caused Shays Rebellion?
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1. A slave rebellion in North Carolina
2. Seizure of land from Massachusetts farmers who
   couldnt pay their debts
3. Government failure to provide Kentucky settlers
   with protection from Indian attacks
4. Rebellious Continental soldiers who hadn't been
   paid for their service

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1. A slave rebellion in North Carolina
2. Seizure of land from Massachusetts farmers who
   couldnt pay their debts
3. Government failure to provide Kentucky settlers
   with protection from Indian attacks
4. Rebellious Continental soldiers who hadn't been
   paid for their service