Articles of Confederation

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Articles of Confederation

• Why did the Articles of Confederation fail?

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What is does the term Founders mean?

• A founding father is a political leader of the 13
  original colonies. They were the key figures in
  the establishment of the U.S.

• Who were they?

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What was the Articles of Confederation?

• First constitution of the U.S.
• Adopted at the Second Continental Congress in
  Nov. 1777
• Became official in 1781
• Served as the nations constitution until 1789,
  when the U.S. Constitution replaced it.
• IT PROVIDED FOR A WEAK CENTRAL GOVERNMENT.

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What does the term national government mean?
The organization having central political
authority in a nation. Also called, the central
or federal government.
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2. Describe the characteristics of each newly
formed state

• Each was like a separate nation to the people,
  their state was their country.
• Each state had its own constitution and
  government.
• Georgias first state constitution was created in
  1777. More to come on that soon

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3. What was the purpose of the Articles?

• To unify the 13 new states (yes, now they are
  states and not colonies)
• To create our first written plan for a national
  government.

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4. Problems the Founders faced

1. They feared a strong national government (they
   didnt want another king)
2. Some states feared other states would have more
   power in a national government and this may lead
   to unfair representation.

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5. What branch was created under the Articles of
Confederation?

• Legislative (Congress) this is the law-making
  branch of government
• What branches of government were missing?
• No executive branch (what? - that means no
  president)
• No judicial branch

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Which level of government had the power?

• state

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7. How was Congress limited in their powers?

• Every action taken by Congress had to have the
  states approval and cooperation.

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8. Achievements

• Wage war for independence against Great Britain
• Each state would recognize the laws of other
  states, for example, a marriage in one state
  would be legal in all other states
• Could negotiate peace treaty Treaty of Paris
  ended the American Revolution
• Passed the Northwest Ordinance of 1787. It
  allowed people in the n.w. lands to organize
  their own governments and then asked to be
  admitted as new states.

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8. Problems

• Congress did not have the power to TAX. (no money
  or the power to raise money
• No ONE person in charge no president (remember
  there was not an executive branch.
• No national army, no national currency, or court
  system.
• Could not regulate trade between states, or
  between states and foreign countries.

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Exit Ticket

• Using Costas Levels of Questioning, write a
  Level 1, 2, and 3 question on the weaknesses of
  the Articles of Confederation and their impact on
  the U.S. Constitution.
• Level 1 ________________________________________
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• Level 2 ________________________________________
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• Level 3 _________________________________________
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