60 likes | 168 Views
Articles of Confederation. Who was ruling the colonies during the Revolutionary W ar?. America’s first attempt at a government… The Articles of Confederation
E N D
Who was ruling the colonies during the Revolutionary War? • America’s first attempt at a government… • The Articles of Confederation • Colonists feared the power of an absolute monarch, so they designed a government with a weak federal system and powerful state governments
Articles of Confederation • Passed by the Second Continental Congress in 1777 • Ratified in 1781, ruled America until the Constitution was created in 1789
What’s the difference between a confederationand what we have now? • Confederation • Alliance of independent states that maintain the majority of power and sovereignty at the expense of a weak central government • Federal System • Partially self-governing states united by a central federal government
Strengths of the gov’t under the AoC! • Coordinated the colonists’ fight against the British in the American Revolution • Negotiated peace treaty that ended American Revolution (Treaty of Paris 1783) • Passed Northwest Ordinance to organize settlement of the Midwest • Created method to amend (change/add to) the Articles of Confederation
Weaknesses of the gov’t under the AoC? • Could NOT collect taxes without approval of states • Could NOT regulate trade • Could NOT raise an army without approval of states • Amendments required unanimous approval of all the states • States retained their sovereignty, freedom and independence • No separate executive (President) • Each state only had one vote in Congress • Congress can only operate on states, not on citizen • Could not enforce treaties