The Articles of Confederation

1. The first constitution that the United States adopted was know as the Articles of Confederation. The Articles created a very weak federal government, especially compared with the monarchy of Britain. We had just won the Revolutionary War, why do you think we wanted such a weak central government? *Remember the reasons we went to war in the first place. Write a short paragraph explaining your answer in your notebook.

2. The founders hoped that a weak central government would decrease or prevent the likelihood of a tyrannical government from developing.

3. The Articles of Confederation 1781 – 1789

4. Thirteen Independent States • May 1776, the Congress instructs each state to create a new state government and state constitutions • By 1780 all 13 states had created • constitutions for their states. • The states were cautious about giving the government too much power. • Each state’s constitution limited the power of the government

5. Limiting Power • States divided the government's power between the governor & the legislature • Many states created bicameral (two house) legislatures to further divide the government's power • State legislatures were elected by the people. In most states you had to be 21, white, male, & own property in order to vote. A few states allowed free African-Americans to vote as well.

6. Planning a New Government • One of the biggest problems was how much power to give the new national government • 1777 – Second Continental Congress creates the Articles of Confederation • (1781 – 1789) the nation's first government. It was ratified • in 1781 • The new national government • was very weak, most of the power remained with the states.

7. Planning a New Government • It had no chief executive, most business was conducted by Congressional committees • Each state received one vote regardless of its size

8. The Confederation Government • The government was not strong enough to deal with the problems facing the country. • It could not pass a law unless 9 out of 13 states voted to pass it. • Any attempt to change the Articles required the consent of all 13 states making it difficult to deal with problems when there • was opposition.

9. New Land Policies • All states but GA. gave up claims to western lands • Territory was divided up into self-governing districts • Population could petition to become states • Ordinance of 1785 • Divided land into townships • The Northwest Ordinance • Created a single NW territory out of the lands north of the Ohio River and east of the Miss. River • Lands further divided into 3 to 5 smaller territories • 60,000 pop. Can apply for statehood • Same rights/privileges as the original 13 states; No slavery allowed in the NW territory

11. Problems Abound Confederation had little power which led to financial problems Money depreciated so much it was almost worthless Prices soar, debts rise Attempt to change AoC to give Congress power to tax failed because only 12 states approved the plan Britain keeps the U.S. out of West Indies/British markets Because they claim we did not honor the Treaty of Paris Spain closes lower part of Miss. River to America , any diplomacy fails because not all states can agree to a fair treaty with Spain

12. The group most likely to approve of the Articles of Confederation would be? Those who feared strong central government The final draft of the Articles of Confederation placed sovereignty where? In the state governments How many states had to ratify a law before it could pass? Nine Which of the following problems did Congress experience under the Articles of Confederation? Congress could not tax the states and therefore had difficulty repaying its debts. Why did the Articles of Confederation fail? It created a national government so weak it couldn't function. Getting laws passed required almost unanimous consent, which was nearly impossible and gave states the ability to invalidate decisions made under the articles. It created, effectively, 13 separate countries under a loose confederation.

13. Convention & Compromise A Call for Change

15. Reasons for Change • Boundary disputes between the states. • Poor foreign relations • Unpaid debts from the Revolutionary War • Falling crop prices left farmers impoverished • Shay’s Rebellion “Good God!…Notwithstanding the boasted virtue of America, we are far gone in every thing that is ignoble and bad.”—George Washington

16. Reasons for Change Leaders such as James Madison & Alexander Hamilton began to realize the need for a strong national government and called for a meeting to take place in Philadelphia in May of 1787 to revise the Articles of Confederation.

17. The Constitutional Convention • Consisted of 55 delegates from 12 states. • The average delegate was in his early 40s, three were under 30 and one, Ben Franklin, was over 80. • In 1787 less than 1 in a 1,000 men went to college. At the convention 26 out of 55 delegates had college degrees. • George Washington was unanimously chosen to lead the convention. • Each state would receive one vote and only a simple majority was required to make decisions.

19. Delegates from small states such as Rhode Island, Delaware, & New Jersey objected because it gave too much power to the large states.

20. The Compromises • The Great Compromise • Roger Sherman proposed a two-house legislature • House of Representatives would have the number of seats based on a states population • Senate- each state would have two members • 3/5ths Compromise • Northern states objected to slaves counting towards population since technically they were “property” • Thus five enslaved persons would equal three free persons

22. The Virginia Plan (Large States Plan) Proposed by Edmund Randolph it suggested that the delegates create a new stronger national government instead of just revising the Articles of Confederation. The plan, largely the work of James Madison, called for a two-house legislature, a chief executive chosen by the legislature, and a court system. Members of the lower house of the legislature would be chosen by the people and the upper house would be chosen by the lower house. Representation in both houses of the legislature would be based on population. Delegates from small states such as Rhode Island, Delaware, & New Jersey objected because it gave too much power to the large states.

23. The New Jersey Plan Small states plan Called for a one-house legislature with one vote for each state. Congress could set taxes and regulate trade. Congress would elect a weak executive branch consisting of more than one person.

25. Bloom’s Taxonomy Question Stems Knowledge • What happened after . . .? • How many . . .? • Who was it that . . .? • Can you name the . . .? • Described what happened at . . .? • Who spoke to . . .? • Can you tell why . . .? • Find the meaning of . . .? • What is . . .? • Which is true or false . . .? • Comprehension • Can you write in your own words . . .? • Can you write a brief outline . . .? • What do you think might happen next . . .? • Who do you think . . .? • What was the main idea . . .? • Who was the key character . . .? • Can you distinguish between . . .? • What differences exist between . . .? • Can you provide an example of what you mean . . .? • Can you provide a definition for . . .?

26. Bloom’s Taxonomy Question Stems • Analysis • Which events could have happened . . .? • If . . . happened, what might the ending have been? • How was this similar to . . .? • What was the underlying theme of . . .? • What do you see as other possible outcomes? • Why did . . . changes occur? • Can you compare your . . . with that presented in . . .? • Can you explain what must have happened when . . .? • How is . . . similar to . . .? • What are some of the problems of . . .? • Can you distinguish between . . .? • What were some of the motives behind . . .? • What was the turning point in the game . . .? • What was the problem with . . .? Application • Do you know another instance where . . .? • Could this have happened in . . .? • Can you group by characteristics such as . . .? • What factors would you change if . . .? • Can you apply the method used to some experience of your own . . .? • What questions would you ask of . . .? • From the information given, can you develop a set of instructions about . . .? • Would this information be useful if you had a . . .?

27. Bloom’s Taxonomy Question Stems Synthesis • Can you design a . . . to . . .? • Why not compose a song about . . .? • Can you see a possible solution to . . .? • If you had access to all resources how would you deal with . . .? • Why don’t you devise your own way to deal with . . .? • What would happen if . . .? • How many ways can you . . .? • Can you create new and unusual uses for . . .? • Can you write a new recipe for a tasty dish? • Can you develop a proposal which would . . .? • Evaluation • Is there a better solution to . . .? • Judge the value of . . .? • Can you defend your position about . . .? • Do you think . . . is a good or a bad thing? • How would you have handled . . .? • What changes to . . . would you recommend? • Are you a . . . person? • How would you feel if . . .? • How effective are . . .? • What do you think about . . .?