Articles of Confederation
The next step after the American Revolution
What influenced the
Articles of Confederation?
Ideas around the World
• The Enlightenment
• John Locke (Social Contract)
• English Magna Carta &
English Bill of Right
• Power to the PEOPLE!
• No more Kings!
Shift of Power
KING AND QUEEN
POWER
People
POWER
People
KING AND QUEEN /
REPRESENTATIVES
Early American Ideas
• Town Meetings: Provided citizens with ability to voice
opinion in government
• Virginia House of Burgesses: Principles of Representation
• Limited Government:
No one had total power,
a system of checks
and balances.
Structure of the A.O.C.
• 1 Branch (Congress)
• NO Executive, NO Judicial
• Unicameral (1 House)
• Each state had 1 Vote
• Representation
• People didn’t vote. State
selected representatives.
• Powers
• Ability to make laws. All other powers to states.
Hypothesize
The A.O.C. only had the power to
make laws. What problems do you
think they might run into without
the executive or judicial branch?
Weaknesses of the Articles
Congress could NOT:
• Enact and collect taxes.
• Regulate trade.
• Control the printing of
money.
– caused massive
inflation!
Weaknesses of the Articles
Congress could NOT:
• Articles could be amended
- only if ALL states approved.
• Could only request troops
from states to maintain army.
• 13 separate states that
lacked national unity.
Weaknesses of the Articles
• Shays’s Rebellion
• angry farmers take weapons
and burned down banks
that held record of their debt.
• What can Massachusetts do?
Yikes!!!
WHAT DID
WORK?????
Strengths of the Articles
• Established the policy for lands
west of the Appalachians.
• Land Ordinance 1785: set up a
system for surveying & dividing
public territory (into squares!)
Strengths of the Articles
• Northwest Ordinance 1787:
How to establish statehood in the future…
 Population needed to reach 60,000
 Create State Constitution:
 Required public education.
 Slavery prohibited
 “Northwest Territory”: Ohio,
Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana
Note Review
With a partner complete the following chart
Strengths of A.O.C.
Weakness of A.O.C.
Solutions for the Articles
For each of the problems with the
Articles of Confederation, created a
solution.