Articles of Confederation and its Problems

1. Pollnow US History Articles of Confederation and its Problems

2. Articles of Confederation Explained • http://video/SAFARI/montage/play.php?keyindex=3102&location=local&chapterskeyindex=8807&play=1

3. The A of C’s Problems • National government could not tax • US could not pay its war debts • Who did the US owe $ to? • No money could be counted on for domestic needs • What types of things could the government need money for?

4. The A of C’s Problems • National government could not regulate interstate commerce • States charged each other tariffs • States competed, rather than cooperated, with each other

5. The A of C’s Problems • National government did not have a strong executive • Loosely organized states created a presidential office (president of Congress), but it gave no real power to this office • The new government lacked leadership and direction WANTED: 1 PRESIDENT

6. The A of C’s Problems • Government lacked effective national courts • No courts existed to try people who broke national laws • State courts always gave precedence to their interests in legal battles with the national government or with other states WANTED: Effective Courts

7. The A of C’s Problems • National government could not raise an army • The government was forced to rely on volunteer militias from the states • What happens if there is a dispute between states? • Shays’ Rebellion demonstrates the importance of this problem • Why? No ->

8. Shay’s Rebellion • American Revolutionary War Veteran and Farmer Daniel Shays leads a rebellion against the government of Massachusetts • He and many others like him are deep in debt and have been imprisoned many times, forcing them to lose all they had and giving them no way to provide for their families • They were upset especially since they were veterans and the government they had fought for had now turned its back on them • The rebellion is eventually put down by a privately raised militia, as the federal government had no ability to do so and the state militia of MA was largely involved in the rebellion • Shay’s Rebellion brought to light many of the most glaring problems with the A of C and prompted change

9. So what do Americans do? • This is what prompts the writing of the Constitution • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7sN974UTZOM&feature=related (6:53)

10. Now that you “get it” • Now that you have seen the problems with the A of C, you are going to address them • You will be “writing a governing document” • Bullet Points white paper • With a group of 3 (only 3!!! Unless #’s don’t work which I will then ok) • Address the things you think are most important for a government to ‘fix’ in the manner that you think is best

11. Your Idea • Your idea needs to be negotiated and compromised between your group members • You must be specific about what you think are the biggest issues gov’t faces and how YOUR GROUP would solve them • Who would decide it • Where $ for it comes from • Be prepared to explain why • And name your “nation”

12. For Example! • The law-making body of Pollnowville will be comprised of 3 representatives from each of the 22 states • This law-making body will conduct research to determine the feelings of the Pollnowvillites on issues and set policies accordingly • The justice-system body of Pollnowville will then decide whether the law that has been created is just or not • That is how laws would be made in Pollnowville, because…

13. So… • Get with 2 other people, get your desks together and start talking about the most important issues you want to address • You must come up with at least 5 of them! • Then talk about how you will address them • No wars with other countries/groups • Don’t draw pictures • I will give you a transparency and overhead markers • Write the nation’s name and your group member’s names on the transparencies

14. So…you need • Group member names • Nation name • 5 problems • 5 solutions • And how you will pay for the solutions