Lesson 8.1a: The Articles
of Confederation
Today we will
analyze the
Articles of
Confederation.
Vocabulary
• republican – form of government in which
people elect the people who govern them
• bill – a written paper containing a statement of
details or facts
• constitution – a written outline of government
• establish – create or set up
• ordinance – a law
What We Already Know
The Enlightenment
spread the ideas that
people had rights
that came from
God… and that
governments should
exist to protect those
rights.
John Locke
What We Already Know
For eight years, the
United States fought a
bitter war against a
government that
threatened those rights.
What We Already Know
During the Revolutionary War, the
Continental Congress had served as the
government for the United States.
• Once the American colonies declared
independence, each of the states had to create
its own government.
• Some state governments were separated
into three branches (executive, legislative,
judicial), to prevent them from becoming
too powerful.
New State Governments
• Once the American colonies declared
independence, each of the states created a
constitution to establish its own government.
• The framers of these early state constitutions
did not want to destroy the political systems
that they had had as colonies.
• They simply wanted to make those systems
more democratic.
Most states tried to make their
governments more democratic.
•
•
•
•
separate branches
weaker executive branches
abolition of slavery
bill of rights
New State Governments
• Some states experimented with creating
separate branches of government, giving
different powers to different branches.
• By creating separate branches, Americans
hoped to prevent the government from
becoming too powerful.
New State Governments
• Nearly all states
tried to weaken the
executive branch.
• Terms of office were
usually short, and
elections were held
frequently.
New State Governments
• Some states began passing laws gradually
abolishing slavery.
• In 1783 a Massachusetts court ended slavery
when it ruled that “all men are born free and
equal.”
• By 1786 five states had abolished slavery.
New State Governments
• Some states included a bill of rights in their
constitutions as a way to keep the government
under control.
• The idea of a bill of rights came from the
English Bill of Rights of 1689.
• This was a list of rights that the government
guaranteed to English citizens.
New State Governments
• Not all the states had a
bill of rights, and not all
of them abolished
slavery.
• All of them did have a
republican form of
government.
• These early state
constitutions would later
serve as a pattern for the
U.S. Constitution.
1. What effect did state governments
have on national politics?
A. They provided a solid foundation for
the U.S. Constitution.
B. They abolished slavery everywhere.
C. They created constitutions that
contained bills of rights.
D. The demanded that Congress repeal
the Northwest Ordinance.
1. What effect did state governments
have on national politics?
A. They provided a solid foundation for
the U.S. Constitution.
B. They abolished slavery everywhere.
C. They created constitutions that
contained bills of rights.
D. The demanded that Congress repeal
the Northwest Ordinance.
What form of government did all
the new states create?
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
republican
democratic
parliamentary
magisterial
bureaucratic
2. Why did most of the new state
constitutions create governments
with separate branches?
A. It was the way government had been
organized back in England.
B. Separate branches would make the
governments strong and effective.
C. Each branch could operate independently
of the other two.
D. They wanted to prevent those governments from becoming too powerful.
2. Why did most of the new state
constitutions create governments
with separate branches?
A. It was the way government had been
organized back in England.
B. Separate branches would make the
governments strong and effective.
C. Each branch could operate independently
of the other two.
D. They wanted to prevent those governments from becoming too powerful.
Track with me:
During the Revolutionary War, each
state was independent, with a
republican form of government.
The war showed the need for the
states to work together.
This idea of “united we stand,
divided we fall” carried on after
independence was won.
The Articles of Confederation
• In 1776, the Continental Congress began to
develop a plan for a national government.
• Congress agreed that the government should
be a republic, and it organized itself based on
the model that the British Parliament provided.
The Articles of Confederation
• It was agreed that every state was given one
vote, regardless of size.
• Although the delegates disagreed about several
issues, Congress eventually arrived at a final
plan, called the Articles of Confederation.
Because many Americans feared a strong
government , the Articles of Confederation
gave the national government few powers.
•
•
•
•
power to wage war
power to make peace
power to sign treaties
power to issue money
The Articles of Confederation
• The Articles created a
government with only
a legislative branch,
the Congress.
• Each state, large or
small, had only one
vote in Congress.
• What was worse, with
no executive branch,
the national
government could not
enforce its own laws.
The most important powers were
left to the states.
• to set taxes
• to enforce
national laws
Powers of the government
issue money
make peace
collect taxes
wage war
enforce laws
one vote in
Congress
sign treaties
control Western
lands
National government
State governments
wage war
enforce laws
make peace
sign treaties
issue money
collect taxes
control Western
lands
one vote in
Congress
3. Who had the most
powers under the
Articles of
Confederation?
A. the national
government
B. the state
governments
C. Federalists
D. republicans
3. Who had the most
powers under the
Articles of
Confederation?
A. the national
government
B. the state
governments
C. Federalists
D. republicans
4. What was the United States
Congress modeled after?
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
the German Reichstag
the British Parliament
the French Estates General
the Russian Duma
the Spanish Diet
Choose all that are true!
4. What was the United States
Congress modeled after?
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
the German Reichstag
the British Parliament
the French Estates General
the Russian Duma
the Spanish Diet
Choose all that are true!
The Problem of Western Land
One issue that had
stood in the way of
the ratification of
the Articles of
Confederation was
the issue of
Western land.
The Problem of Western Lands
Some of the
smaller states had
no western lands,
which could be
sold to pay debts
left from the
Revolution.
The Problem of Western Lands
• States without
such lands to
sell were at a
disadvantage.
• They wanted
the national
government to
control the
western states.
The Problem of Western Lands
• Over the next
three years,
the other
states gave up
title to the
western land.
• The small
states finally
voted to ratify
the Articles.
The Land Ordinance of 1785
The Ordinance
established
townships in
what would
become known
as the Northwest
Territory.
The Land Ordinance of 1785
• It staked out sixmile square
townships.
• It also set aside
one square-mile
section of land for
schools.
• This was the first
time the national
government
promoted public
education.
The Northwest Ordinance
• It described how the
Northwest Territory was
to be governed.
• As each territory grew in
population, it would gain
rights to self-government.
• When there were 60,000
people, they could apply
to become a new state.
• This was important
because it set a pattern
for the orderly growth of
the United States.
Slavery was banned in
the Northwest Territory.
Religious freedom was guaranteed.
5. What issues affected the Western
territories between 1775 and 1787?
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
Who would control the territories
How to divide western lands
Making peace with the Indians
How to settle the western lands
How to buy more land from
foreign countries
Choose all that are true!
5. What issues affected the Western
territories between 1775 and 1787?
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
Who would control the territories
How to divide western lands
Making peace with the Indians
How to settle the western lands
How to buy more land from
foreign countries
Choose all that are true!
6. What did the
Land Ordinance of 1785 do?
• The Ordinance established townships in
what would become known as the Northwest
Territory.
• Each township was a six-mile square (36 sq.
miles).
• One square-mile section was set aside to
earn money for schools.
7. What did the Northwest
Ordinance do?
A. It outlined when the territories
could govern themselves.
B. It established settlers' rights to
religious freedom.
C. It set a pattern for the orderly
growth of the United States.
D. It allowed Congress to purchase
land from Mexico.
E. It banned slavery in the Northwest
Territory.
Choose all that are true!
7. What did the Northwest
Ordinance do?
A. It outlined when the territories
could govern themselves.
B. It established settlers' rights to
religious freedom.
C. It set a pattern for the orderly
growth of the United States.
D. It allowed Congress to purchase
land from Mexico.
E. It banned slavery in the Northwest
Territory.
Choose all that are true!
7. What did the Northwest
Ordinance do?
A. It outlined when the territories
could govern themselves.
B. It established settlers' rights to
religious freedom.
C. It set a pattern for the orderly
growth of the United States.
D. It allowed Congress to purchase
land from Mexico.
E. It banned slavery in the Northwest
Territory.
Choose all that are true!
7. What did the Northwest
Ordinance do?
A. It outlined when the territories
could govern themselves.
B. It established settlers' rights to
religious freedom.
C. It set a pattern for the orderly
growth of the United States.
D. It allowed Congress to purchase
land from Mexico.
E. It banned slavery in the Northwest
Territory.
Choose all that are true!
7. What did the Northwest
Ordinance do?
A. It outlined when the territories
could govern themselves.
B. It established settlers' rights to
religious freedom.
C. It set a pattern for the orderly
growth of the United States.
D. It allowed Congress to purchase
land from Mexico.
E. It banned slavery in the Northwest
Territory.
Choose all that are true!
Lesson 8.1b:
Shays’
Rebellion
Today we will
explain the
connection between
the weaknesses in
the Articles of
Confederation and
Shays’ Rebellion.
Vocabulary
• levy – to establish and collect a
tax or a fee
• strength – something you are
good at
• weakness – something you don’t
do well
• debt – something owed, usually
money
What We Already Know
When Britain
threatened the
rights of the
colonists, farmers
and merchants at
Lexington and
Concord rose up
in arms against
what they saw as
injustice.
What We Already Know
With independence came the opportunity
and responsibility to create an effective
government.
What We Already Know
The first American government was
intentionally made weak by a people that had
fought a desperate war for freedom against a
powerful and abusive government.
Strengths of the
Articles of Confederation
One strength of
the Articles of
Confederation
was that they
left important
powers to the
states.
The Confederation Congress was too
weak to solve the nation’s problems.
Weaknesses of the Articles
• Aside from its handling of
land issues, the
Confederation Congress
had few successes.
• By the end of the
Revolutionary War, the
United States faced
serious problems, and the
Confederation Congress
did not have enough
power to solve them.
Weaknesses of the Articles
• Debt was a critical
problem for the
government.
• Congress had borrowed
large sums to pay for
the Revolutionary War.
• Much of that money
was owed to soldiers of
its own army.
Weaknesses of the Articles
• Upset at not being paid,
several hundred soldiers
surrounded the Pennsylvania
State House where Congress
was meeting in June 1783.
• The soldiers threatened the
legislators, thrusting their
bayonets through the windows.
• The delegates were forced to
flee the city.
• The event was a clear sign of
Congress’s weakness.
Weaknesses of the Articles
• Even if Congress wanted to pay the soldiers,
it did not have the power to levy taxes under
the Articles of Confederation.
• The national government
depended on the states to
send money to Congress.
• But the states sent very
little money.
Weaknesses of the Articles
• Congress was not
alone in facing
economic crises.
• People throughout the
nation faced hard
times.
• In Massachusetts, the
economy was so bad
that people rose up in
arms against the
government.
8. What were the strengths of the
Articles of Confederation?
A. They empowered Congress to make
treaties.
B. They empowered Congress to enforce laws.
C. They empowered Congress to levy and
collect taxes and regulate trade.
D. They left important powers to the states.
E. They created a powerful chief executive to
run the government.
Choose all that are true!
8. What were the strengths of the
Articles of Confederation?
A. They empowered Congress to make
treaties.
B. They empowered Congress to enforce laws.
C. They empowered Congress to levy and
collect taxes and regulate trade.
D. They left important powers to the states.
E. They created a powerful chief executive to
run the government.
Choose all that are true!
8. What were the weaknesses of the
Articles of Confederation?
A. Congress had no power to enforce laws,
collect taxes, or regulate trade.
B. They withheld important powers from the
states.
C. They lacked a chief executive to run the
government.
D. They contained a limited bill of rights.
E. They were difficult for the states to amend.
8. What were the weaknesses of the
Articles of Confederation?
A. Congress had no power to enforce laws,
collect taxes, or regulate trade.
B. They withheld important powers from the
states.
C. They lacked a chief executive to run the
government.
D. They contained a limited bill of rights.
E. They were difficult for the states to amend.
The government’s weakness
led to violence
• In Massachusetts, farmers who could not pay
their tax debts lost their land and were jailed.
• In 1787, when the state legislature refused to
provide relief from their debts, about 1500
farmers rebelled.
The government’s weakness
led to violence
This rebellion
was led by a
Revolutionary War
veteran named
Daniel Shays.
The government’s weakness
led to violence
Shays’ rebels often invaded court rooms to
prevent judges from ruling against debtors.
The government’s weakness
led to violence
In January 1787,
Shays and his
men marched on a
federal arsenal;
a place to store
weapons.
The government’s weakness
led to violence
The arsenal
was defended
by 900 militia
soldiers from
Massachusetts.
The government’s weakness
led to violence
• The militia defeated them, killing four
protesters.
• Although the protesters were defeated,
they won the sympathy of many Americans.
The government’s weakness
led to violence
• America’s leaders realized that an armed uprising
of common farmers spelled danger for the nation.
• Some leaders hoped that the nation’s ills could be
solved by strengthening the national government.
Why was the Confederation
Congress not able to pay the
soldiers who fought during the
Revolutionary War?
A. It still owed too much money to
France and Spain.
B. The Constitution prohibited cash
payments to the military.
C. The government was bankrupt after
buying Louisiana from France.
D. It did not have the power to levy taxes.
Why was the Confederation
Congress not able to pay the
soldiers who fought during the
Revolutionary War?
A. It still owed too much money to
France and Spain.
B. The Constitution prohibited cash
payments to the military.
C. The government was bankrupt after
buying Louisiana from France.
D. It did not have the power to levy taxes.
9. What caused
Shays’
Rebellion?
A. A slave rebellion in
North Carolina
B. Seizure of land from
Massachusetts farmers
who couldn’t pay their
debts
C. Government failure to
provide Kentucky
settlers with protection
from Indian attacks
D. Rebellious Continental
soldiers who hadn't
been paid for their
service
A. A slave rebellion in
North Carolina
B. Seizure of land from
Massachusetts farmers
who couldn’t pay their
debts
C. Government failure to
provide Kentucky
settlers with protection
from Indian attacks
D. Rebellious Continental
soldiers who hadn't
been paid for their
service