How difficult is it to get a group of
your friends to agree on what movie
to watch or game to play?
A. Very difficult
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D. Very easy
A
B
C
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C
C. Somewhat easy
A.
B.
C.
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B. Somewhat difficult
Chapter 7 A More Perfect
Union (1777-1790)
Section 1 The Articles of
Confederation
How effective was government under
the Articles of Confederation?
Second Continental Congress
• Needed a plan of
government that met the
needs of all 13 states
• The states joined to fight
against the British, but
would they be able to
work together and
maintain their
independence?
• The states’ first task was
to establish their own
political institutions
State Constitutions
• May 1776, Congress
asked the states to
organize their
governments
• Each state adopted a
constitution (Plan of
government)
• Each learned from British
rule and did not want too
much power on a single
ruler
• Each had limited power on
the governor
• Pennsylvania even had an
elected council with 12
members
Limiting Power
• States also divided government
functions between the governor
and the legislature
• Most states established bicameral
(two-house) legislatures to divide
power even further
• The writers of the constitutions
wanted to keep the power in the
hands of the people
• Elections were frequent
• In order to vote (in most states)
you had to be a white male, 21
years old or older, and own
property
• Some states allowed free African
Americans to vote
Forming a Republic
• Americans agreed that they
should be a republic
• Citizens rule through elected
representatives
• Disagreements arose on
organization of the powers
• Most Americans wanted a
weak central government
• Each state would be like
independent countries
• States would act
independently on most issues
• The central government
would only wage war and
handle relations with other
nations
Planning a New Government
• 1776- Congress appointed a
committee to draw a
constitution
• November 1777- The Articles
of Confederation was adopted
• Was America’s first constitution
• Central government in which
the states kept most of their
power
• Under the Articles Congress
had the power to conduct
foreign affairs, maintain armed
forces, borrow money, and
issue currency
John Hanson- 1st
President of the United
States under the
Articles of
Confederation
Under the Articles of Confederation,
Congress could do which of the
following?
A. Regulate trade
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D. Conduct foreign affairs
A
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A
B
C
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D
C
C. Impose taxes
A.
B.
C.
0%
D.
B
B. Force citizens to join
the army
Weaknesses of the Articles
• Congress could not
regulate trade
• Or force citizens to
join the army
• Or impose taxes
• If Congress needed
money they had to ask
the state legislaturesbut they were NOT
required to contribute
• Congress lacked a
chief executive
More of the Articles
• The Articles were not fully
supported by the states
• Each state got one vote,
regardless of population
• All states had to approve the
articles and any
amendments
• Larger states believed they
should have more votes
• Some states claimed land in
the West
• Maryland refused to approve
the Articles until these states
abandoned these land
claims
• The states did and all 13
states approved the Articles
on March 1, 1781
The Confederation Government
• 1781-1789
• Did not provide a strong enough
government
• To pass a law 9 states had to
agree
• Despite weaknesses it made
some important achievements
• Under the Confederation
government, Americans won
independence and expanded
foreign trade
• Also helped with the governing if
western territories
Moving West
• Before the Revolutionary War,
on a few thousand lived west of
the Appalachian Mountains
• 1790- About 120,000
• Settlers hoped to organize
lands as states and join the
union
• Land claims were given up and
Congress took control of these
lands
• 1784- Congress divided the
western territory into selfgoverning districts
• When the number of people in
a district reached the
population of the smallest
existing state, that district could
petition for statehood
The Ordinance of 1785
• 1785- Congress passed an
ordinance (law) that
established a procedure for
surveying and selling
western lands north of the
Ohio River
• Divided the massive
territory into 6 miles by 6
miles townships
• Townships were divided
into 36 sections (640 acres)
• Each would be sold at
public auction
• To govern the territory, a
new ordinance was needed
The Northwest Ordinance
• 1787- Created a single
Northwest Territory
• North of the Ohio River
and east of the
Mississippi River
• Divided into 3 to 5
smaller territories
• When the population
reached 60,000 the
people could petition for
statehood
• Each new state would
have the same rights as
the original 13 states
More of the Northwest Ordinance
• Had a bill of rights for settlers
• Guaranteed freedom of
religion and trial by jury
• Slavery was outlawed
• This clause (condition added
to a document) marked the
first attempt to stop the
spread of slavery in the US
• The Ordinance of 1785 and
the Northwest Ordinance
opened the way for
settlement of the Northwest
Territory in a stable and
orderly manner
Financial Problems
• By 1781- The money printed
during the Revolutionary War
depreciated (fell in value) so
far that it was almost
worthless
• Taxes could not be collected
so Congress and the states
printed their own paper money
• Not backed in silver or gold,
so it had no real value
• “Not worth a continental”worthless
• War for independence left
Congress with a huge debt
• Congress owned money to
American citizens and foreign
nations
• Still owed money to soldiers
• States did not send money
Robert Morris’s Import Tax
• 1781- The finances were
collapsing
• Congress created a
department of finance led by
Philadelphia merchant Robert
Morris
• Morris proposed a 5% tax on
imported goods to help pay the
debt
• The plan called for the Articles
to be changed to give
Congress the power to tax
• Rhode Island refused so it did
not pass
• The financial crisis continued
to worsen
Problems With Britain
• The British didn’t leave the
forts they were supposed to
according to the Treaty of
Paris (1783)
• Americans complained that the
British were keeping them out
of the West Indies and other
British markets
• 1785- John Adams was sent
to London to discuss the
problems
• The British responded that the
United States didn’t live up to
their side of the Treaty
• The states never paid the
loyalists that lost their land and
property
Who honored all the promises they
made in the Treaty of Paris?
A. Both Britain and the
United States
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D
0%
A
D. Neither Britain nor the
United States
A
B
C
0%
D
C
C. Just the United States
A.
B.
C.
0%
D.
B
B. Just Britain
Problems With Spain
• Spain wanted to stop
American expansion into
its territory
• Spain closed the lower
Mississippi River to
American shipping in 1784
• Westerners no longer had
this trade route
• The Confederation could
not deal with these
problems
• These problems worried
many leaders and they saw
that there was a need for a
stronger government
How effective was government under
the Articles of Confederation?
-Ineffective because the Congress
lacked important economic and
diplomatic powers.
Chapter 7 Section 1 Quiz
The Americans were ready to concentrate
power in the hands of one ruler.
ls
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Fa
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Tr
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A. True
B. False
The war left the Continental
Congress with a large debt.
ls
e
50%
Fa
50%
Tr
ue
A. True
B. False
The Americans formed a republic, a
government in which citizens rule through
A. elected
representatives.
B. monarchies.
C. kingships.
D. appointed
representatives.
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What was the single territory that was
created out of the lands north of the Ohio
River and east of the Mississippi River?
A. Mississippi
25% 25% 25% 25%
Territory
B. Western Territory
C. Northwest
Territory
D. Ohio Territory
One major weakness of the Confederation
was that it could not deal with
drawing maps.
new states.
Native Americans.
the nation's
finances.
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