The Articles of Confederation

1
The Articles of Confederation

• Americas first government.

2
What kind of government did America want/need?

• Would Washington be king?
• Washington did not want to be a supreme ruler
• Gave up power at end of the war
• Declaration of Independence only set up a loose
  collection of delegates
• Most didnt want a central government, Congress
  was just a necessary evil during war

3
Articles of Confederation

• Government passed by the Continental Congress in
  1777 and approved in 1781
• One branch of government, a Congress
• What could it do?
• What were the weaknesses?
• Each state had one vote
• 9 of 13 votes needed to pass anything involving
  money
• 13 of 13 votes needed to change the articles

4
Northwest Ordinances

• Northwest Ordinance of 1785
• Surveys lands of Northwest territory
• Pages 138 in your book
• Northwest Ordinance of 1787
• Set guidelines for states being made out of the
  Northwest Territory
• 3 to 5 states would be made
• Congress appoints territorial governors and
  judges
• 5,000 free males non-voting rep.
• 60,000 people apply for statehood
• As a territory, land would be owned by the U.S.
  and no slavery

5
State Constitutions

• Real power in government was controlled by each
  state
• Most states wrote their own constitutions
• Each state had their own laws, money, and courts

6
Problems with the Articles

• Economic
• Debt
• States made cheap paper money
• States taxed traded goods from each other
• Weak Government
• Most people wanted a weak government, feared
  tyrants

7
Nationalists

• Nationalists want to strengthen the national
  government
• Included former military leaders, Congressman,
  merchants, planters, and lawyers
• George Washington, Ben Franklin, James Madison,
  and Alexander Hamilton
• Annapolis Convention
• 1786, 12 Delegates from 5 states
• Met to fix economic problems of the Articles
• Didnt get the support they wanted
• Agreed to meet a year later in Philadelphia

8
Shays Rebellion

• Causes
• Money lenders wanted states to pay them back
• Merchants on east coast push for high taxes
• Massachusetts passes direct tax payable only in
  specie (gold coins)
• Farmers in west fall into debt
• Daniel Shays
• Revolutionary War veteran facing jail time for
  his debt
• 1786 led a rebellion that drove out tax
  collectors and forced courts to close
• Massachusetts raised an army to put down the
  rebellion
• Effects
• Caused sense of urgency about the government
• Convention in Philadelphia met in May, 1787