Articles of Confederation1781-1787

America’s First Government

Created by the second Continental Congress in 1777, approved in 1781

Thirteen “Countries”

• Each colony became a state

• Each state was really an independent country.

• People were loyal to their state, not one big country.

State Governments

• Each state had its own government.– More important than Congress

• Each state dealt with foreign countries on their own.

• Each state made its own money

States Work Together

• Each state sends representatives to Congress.

• Congress helps plan and direct the Revolutionary War

• However, Congress has no power over any state.

Articles of Confederation

• An agreement by the states to work together.

• Formed a very weak central government.– No judiciary (national court system)– No executive branch (think King)– One legislature, with little power.– No power to tax anyone– No power to regulate trade between the states

NH MA RI CT NY PA NJ MDDE SC GANCVA

Citizens of Each State

Elects State Gov’t

CongressEach State = 1 Vote

No Executive (king or President)

No Judicial System(courts, judges)

Why a Weak Government?

• Parliament and the King were strong!

• The colonies were fighting to rid themselves of such a government.– An executive reminded them of a King, so

NO DEAL!– They were afraid of a government that

would take away their rights.

Problems with the Articles

• Congress could not tax the colonies.– Each state passed its own taxes.

• Congress could not fix trade (business) problems between states.

• Each state had only one vote– It did not matter how big or how many

people lived in it.

Government Gridlock

• To pass a law, 9 of 13 states had to agree– Nearly 70%!!– Few laws were passed

• To amend (change) the Articles of Confederation, ALL states must agree to it.

Land Issues

• Colonies won lots of new land after the war.

• Each state claimed some of that land as theirs.

Northwest Ordinance• All states agree to give

up claims to land in the west.

• System is created to make new states.– Three step process to

statehood

• New states would be equal to old states.

• Prohibited slavery in the NW territory

Call for Change

• Small number of people want change

• Reasons:– Create a government that can do something!– Fix many of the problems facing the states.– People are too dumb to govern themselves

• Folks call for a convention in Annapolis Maryland to discuss changes.

Annapolis Convention

• 1786 Annapolis, Maryland

• Only 12 reps from 5 states show.

• Delegates plan to meet again in Philadelphia in 1787

• Goal is to fix the national government.

Shay’s Rebellion• Colonists in Mass. angry over high

taxes and the government taking their land.

• Farmer named Daniel Shays leads an armed rebellion.

• Congress cannot raise funds for an army

• Mass. finally raises an army and defeats Shay, four of his followers are killed by Massachusetts militia.

• Many people worry that the new government could not maintain law and order and that Articles needed serious revision.

Successes of the Articles of Confederation

• It kept the country together during the revolutionary War

• It negotiated the Treaty of Paris of 1783

• It passed the Northwest Ordinance