Articles of Confederation Government: 1781-1789

1. Articles of Confederation Government: 1781-1789

2. Articles of Confederation • A document that stated the role of a national government in the United States from 1781 to 1787. • It had many weaknesses, primarily the creation of a very weak central government and strong state governments • Its weaknesses will lead to drafting of the Constitution

3. Weaknesses of theArticles of Confederation • A unicameral Congress [9 of 13 votes to pass a law]. • 13 out of 13 to amend. • Representatives were frequently absent. • Could not tax or raise armies. • No executive or judicial branches.

4. State Constitutions • Republicanism. • Most had strong governors with veto power. • Most had bicameral legislatures. • Property required for voting. • Some had universal white male suffrage. • Most had bills of rights. • Many had a continuation of state-established religions while others disestablished religion.

5. Land • During the time of the Articles of Confederation there are many land issues that must be resolved by the United States • One of the few achievements of the Confederation was how well the land issue was handled

6. Indian Land Cessions:1768-1799

7. Disputed Territorial ClaimsBetween Spain & the U. S.:1783-1796

8. State Claims to Western Lands

9. Land Ordinance of 1785

10. Northwest Ordinance of 1787 • One of the major accomplishments of the Confederation Congress! • Statehood achieved in three stages: • Congress appointed 3 judges & a governor to govern the territory. • When population reached 5,000 adult male landowners  elect territorial legislature. • When population reached 60,000  elect delegates to a state constitutional convention.

11. The United States in 1787

12. The Confederation encounters problems • After the initial success of territorial expansion issues, the Confederation began showing it’s weakness when dealing w/ • taxation, • national debt • Congressional representation

13. Weaknesses • The Articles of Conf. caused Americans to see themselves as individual states, not one nation • The 1 vote per state rules hurt states w/ large populations (Ga (23,375)= Mass (235,308) • Most serious economic problem was the national debt stemming from the war ($190 million)—had to pay back foreign nations/ Continental currency worthless • Couldn’t tax or collect revenue from the states

14. Debtors vs. Creditors • After the war, Creditors (lenders of $) and debtors (borrowers of $) struggle against one another. • Lenders favor high taxes so the states can pay them back--- this sends farmers into debt and many lose their farms because of it. • Usefulness of Money- Debtors want to increase the supply of money to lessen its value and enable them to pay off their debts with cheap currency. • Creditors want the money supply low so it would keep its full value.

15. Foreign Relation problems • US does not pay debts to British merchants or compensate Loyalists • In retaliation, Britain refuses to evacuate forts on the Great Lakes • In 1784, Spain closes Miss. River to American navigation • Westerners unable to ship crops east through New Orleans • Congress unable to resolve problems with foreign nations

19. Shays’ Rebellion: 1786-7

22. Shays’ Rebellion: 1786-7 There could be no stronger evidence of the want of energy in our governments than these disorders. -- George Washington

23. Annapolis Convention (1786) • 12 representatives from 5 states[NY, NJ, PA, DE, VA] • GOAL address barriers that limited trade and commerce between the states. • Not enough states were represented to make any real progress. • Sent a report to the Congress to call a meeting of all the states to meet in Philadelphia to examine areas broader than just trade and commerce.