Lesson 8.1: The Articles of Confederation. Today we will examine the Articles of Confederation

Lesson 8.1: The Articles of Confederation

Lesson 8.1: The Articles of Confederation

Today we will examine the Articles of Confederation.

republic: form of government in which people elect the people who govern them.

VocabularyVocabulary

bill:

constitution:

a proposed law to be considered by a legislative body.

ratification:

the set of basic laws by which a nation, state, or other organization is governed.

the act of ratifying; formal approval esp. by a legislature.

Philosophers of The Enlightenment, like John Locke, promoted the belief that people had rights that came from God… and that governments should protect those rights.

What We Already KnowWhat We Already Know


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


During the Revolutionary War, the Continental Congress had served as

the government for the United States.

State GovernmentsState Governments

Once the American colonies declared independence, each of the states had

to create its own government. To deal with issues at the state level.

A and B DiscussA and B Discuss

If you had to set up a government that was more democratic, what would be some of

the proposals you would make. Be prepared to share out.

Democratic- form of government in which citizens have a say.

State GovernmentsState GovernmentsThe 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.


Nearly all states tried to limit the power of the executive branch, the branch that carried out the laws.

Terms of office were usually short and elections were held frequently.


To be more democratic some states set up their governments with three branches, so that power did not rest with any one group.

• One branch would write the laws and raise money.

• One branch would carry out the laws.

• One branch would enforce the laws.

State GovernmentsState GovernmentsSome states included a bill of rights in their constitutions guaranteeing their citizens certain rights.

The idea of a bill of rights came from the English Bill of Rights of 1689.

State GovernmentsState GovernmentsBy 1786 five states had abolished slavery.

Vermont abolished slavery in their constitution.

In 1783 a Massachusetts court ended slavery when it ruled that “all men are born free and equal.”

State GovernmentsState 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.

Get your whiteboards and markers ready!

A. They provided a solid foundation for the U.S. Constitution.

B. They abolished slavery everywhere.

C. They created constitutions that contained bills of rights.

What effect did state governments have on national politics?

What effect did state governments have on national politics?

D. They demanded that Congress repeal the Northwest Ordinance.

A. republican.

B. socialist

C. parliamentary

What form of government did all the new states create?

What form of government did all the new states create?

D. bureaucratic

E. monarchy

A. It was the way government had been organized back in England.

B. Separate branches would make the governments strong and effective.

C. Each branch could operate independently of the other two.

Why did most of the new state constitutions create governments

with separate branches?

Why did most of the new state constitutions create governments

with separate branches?

D. They wanted to prevent those governments from becoming too powerful.

Makes sense…Makes sense…• 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.

The Articles of ConfederationThe Articles of Confederation

By 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.


Although the delegates disagreed about several issues, in forming a new government, Congress

eventually arrived at a final plan,

which they called the Articles of

Confederation.


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


Some of the smaller states. had no western lands, which could be sold to pay debts and increase revenue.


• Over the next three years, the other states gave up title to the western land.

• Control of the western lands was given over to Congress.

• The small states finally voted to ratify the Articles by 1781.

The Articles of ConfederationThe 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.


Since Congress had no Executive Branch, it could not carry out its own laws.

The only power left to Congress was • wage war and make

peace• sign treaties• print money• control western lands


The power to collect taxes and enforce national laws was left to each of the individual states.


The Articles of Confederation left Congress with very little power. Do you think this was

done deliberately? Why or why not?

Be prepared to share your reasoning with the class.


A. the Spanish Diet.

B. the German Reichstag

C. the British Parliament

What had Congress modeled their government after?

What had Congress modeled their government after?

D. The Russian Duma.

A. The national government (Congress).

B. The state governments.

C. The Loyalists.

Who had the most powers under the Articles of Confederation?

Who had the most powers under the Articles of Confederation?

D. The Republicans.

Congress was given charge of the western lands. Since Congress had not been given the ability to raise revenue through taxes, it developed a plan to sell land under their control.

Land Ordinance of 1785Land Ordinance of 1785


Under the Land Ordinance of 1785, land was surveyed into square townships, six miles on a side. Each township was sub-divided into thirty-

six sections of one square mile each.

It established what would be known as the Northwest Territory.


One square mile was set aside for schools. This was the first time the national government promoted public education.

The Northwest OrdinanceThe Northwest Ordinance

• The Northwest Ordinance 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.


Under the Northwest Ordinance, slavery was banned in the new territories and religious freedom was guaranteed.


• The Northwest Ordinance was important piece of legislation because it set a pattern for the orderly growth of the United States.


A. Who would control the territories.

B. How to divide western lands.

C. Making peace with the Indians

What issues involved the Western territories between 1775 and 1787 ?What issues involved the Western

territories between 1775 and 1787 ?

D. How to buy more land from foreign countries.

E. How to settle the western lands.

(Choose all that apply.)

A. established townships in what would become known as the Northwest Territory.

B. set aside land for schools.

C. set aside land for plantations.

What did the Land Ordinance of 1785 accomplish?What did the Land Ordinance of 1785 accomplish?

D. took land from the larger states.

E. set up a way governments would be run in the Northwest Territory.


A. It banned slavery in the Northwest Territory.

B. It established settlers' rights to religious freedom.

C. It set a pattern for the orderly growth of the United States.

What did the Northwest Ordinance accomplish?What did the Northwest Ordinance accomplish?

D. It allowed Congress to purchase land from Mexico.

E. It outlined when the territories could govern themselves.



Do you see any future problems that either the Land Ordinance of 1785 or the

Northwest Territory Ordinance may create?

Be prepared to share your answerswith the class.

8.1 Cornell Notes

Portfolio Page 1. What effect did the new governments created by the new

state constitutions have on national politics?2. Why did most of the new state constitutions create

governments with separate branches?

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

4. What was the United States Congress modeled after?

Portfolio Page 5. What issues affected the Western territories between 1775

and 1787?

6. What did the Land Ordinance of 1785 do?

7. What did the Northwest Ordinance do?

(These Q’s will go on Portfolio )

National government’s State governments’ powers powers

Copy this chart onto Portfolio Copy this chart onto Portfolio

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

1.

2.

3.

Articles of Confederation

Copy this chart onto Portfolio p24Copy this chart onto Portfolio p24

Shay’s

Rebellion

What happened? What was the cause?

What was the state’s reaction?

‘Big Picture’ result?

Documents

Lesson 8.1: The Articles of Confederation. Today we will examine the Articles of Confederation