Articles of ConfederationBy Douglas D. DayED 639

The Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union

Dayton Public

• Grade level: 8th

• Class: American History Part I

• Lesson: First United States Government

Objectives

• Students will be able to identify the Articles of Confederation and explain why they failed.

• Students will be able to identify positive outcomes of the Articles of Confederation.

Materials needed

• Myself– Computer– Video Projector– Projector Screen– Pointer Stick

• My Students– Pencils/Pens– Notebooks– Books

Websites

• Wikipedia

• Second Continental Congress

• Cities in the Colonial Atlantic World

• Alexander Hamilton Historical Society

• The US Constitution Online

Student Activities

• Bell Ringer – students will come in, sit down and write about why the second continental congress came together using information from the previous day’s notes and from their reading.

• Recitation – I will led the students in a review of the notes given the day before.

Student Activities continued..

• Lecture notes – the following slides.• Debate – I will monitor a debate between

students on the pros and cons of the Articles of Confederation.

• Worksheet with vocabulary words and concepts pertaining to Articles; start it in class then assign what is not finish as homework.

Background

• The Articles of Confederation were adopted on Nov 15, 1777 by the Second Continental Congress

• The congress was held in Philadelphia

Background continued…

• Ratified on March 1, 1781

• Made obsolete on June 21, 1788 when New Hampshire ratified the new US Constitution

Ratification

• The first state to ratify the Articles was South Carolina on February 5, 1778

• The last state to ratify was Maryland on March 1, 1781– Maryland was waiting for New York and

Virginia rescinded their claims to land in the Ohio River valley.

Summation of Articles • Named the Confederation of state as

the ‘The United States of America’• US a union of states “for their common

defense”• Central Government conducted foreign

relations, declared war, set weights and measures (including money), and settle disputes between states.

Articles continued…

• Expenditures by the United States will be paid by funds raised by state legislatures

Articles continued…

• Requires nine states to approve a new state; Canada pre-approved

• Articles could only be altered with all states ratification.

Problems

• Under the Articles, Congress could make laws but could not enforce them.

• Congress had no power of taxation– Congress could only request money from

the states– The states generally did not comply with

Congress’ request

Success

• The Articles held the Colonies together during the Revolutionary War.

• Land Ordinance of 1785– established the general land survey and

ownership provisions

Northwest Ordinance of 1787

• The original states gave up land west

• Paving way for the future states– Ohio– Michigan– Indiana– Illinois– Wisconsin– Part of Minnesota

Revision

• May 1786, Charles Pinckney of South Carolina proposed that Congress revise the Articles of Confederation.

• September of 1786, Alexander Hamilton chaired the Annapolis Convention.

Revision continued…

• Congress meet in Philadelphia and after debate, Congress endorsed the plan to revise the Articles of Confederation on February 21, 1787.

Goodbye Articles

• Sept. 28, 1787- Congress sends Constitution to States for ratification

• July 2, 1788- Ratification of Constitution formally announced by Congress, following ratification by ninth state, New Hampshire, on June 21, 1788

Goodbye continued…

• Nov. 1, 1788- Congress under Articles of Confederation adjourns

• Apr. 1, 1789- House of Representatives under Constitution reaches a quorum