Agenda
• Warm-up: Articles of Confederation Brain
Pop and matching activity
• Articles of Confederation Reading
• Articles of Confederation Flow Chart
• Finish Liberty Kids if time 
• Homework: Articles of Confederation Quiz
will be Monday April 13.
1776
The Articles of Confederation
Content Objectives: Students will review the
weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation.
Language Objectives: Students will sort out the
weakness of the Articles of Confederation. They will
determine the cause and effect to create a flow
chart.
May, 1776
The Second Continental
Congress had been
meeting, planning what to
do after King George’s
refusal of the Olive Branch
Proposal. Arguments
were very heated about
whether or not to declare
independence from
England.
The Committee of Five
had been asked to write a
document listing their
reasons for separating
from England.
Notice to the “States”
• In May, 1776, the Continental Congress
asked the states to organize their
governments and to write a
constitution for their own state.
• What is a constitution?
•
A formal plan of government.
Limiting Power
The memory of tyrannical King was fresh.
Americans did not want to give any state
government too much power! Their new
constitutions reflected this great desire in
their state constitutions.
Agenda
• Warm-up: Articles of Confederation
True/False
• Articles of Confederation Notes
• Articles of Confederation Flow Chart
• Finish Liberty Kids if time 
• Homework: Articles of Confederation
Reading.
But WHAT would they do
about a national government?
Now
what
what??
Now
what??
We need a
government to
make rules and
run the war
against Mother
England!
My government
is in my colony,
Maryland!
Mine is in New
York! We are
fighting to get
away a strong
central
government, not
start a new one!
But we
must
work
together!!
Second Continental Congress set
up a committee
Committee wrote
the “Articles of
Confederation,”
15 articles that set
up a “firm league of
friendship.”
• Each state retains its
sovereignty, freedom and
independence.
Article 1
Article 4
After a lot of
debate,
blahblahblahblah
November, 1777
We’re just
friends,
right?
Congress adopts
Penn.
Delaware
A confederation is a
collection of
independent states
that can SUGGEST
rules to each other,
but not force
individual citizens
to do anything
I don’t
belong
to you!
NY
Agenda
• Warm-up: Articles of Confederation
True/False
• Articles of Confederation Notes
• Articles of Confederation Flow Chart
• Finish Liberty Kids if time 
• Homework: Articles of Confederation
Reading.
The Articles of Confederation
First
1777
approved
weak
Borrow money
military
Northwest
Ordinance (1787)
depression
Great Britain
Spain
shadow
Feel they needed a new
stronger government
The Articles of Confederation
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Weakness #1– one house
One vote per state
Weakness #2-No power to collect taxes
Weakness # 3-No power to ENFORCE
any laws
Weakness # 4Unanimous vote
to change Articles
Weakness # 5 Issue
currency
The Articles of Confederation
OOPS – there were problems!
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Unicameral legislature – one house
One vote per state
No power to collect taxes
No power to ENFORCE any laws
Unanimous vote to change Articles
Issue currency
Ratified on March 1, 1781
The Confederation Government
1781-1789
• The Articles were too weak, and America
was having new problems.
Good things. . .
• Even though the Articles of Confederation
were weak, what do you think were some
of the good things that happened because
of the Articles?
Agenda
• Warm-up: Articles of Confederation
True/False
• Articles of Confederation Notes
• Articles of Confederation Flow Chart
• Finish Liberty Kids if time 
• Homework: Articles of Confederation
Reading.