The First National Government
Second Continental Congress was an emergency government that
had no real authority
* it governed the country
* it declared independence
* it directed the war effort
* it made alliances with France
* it proposed the Articles of Confederation (1st national
constitution)
- all the states needed to ratify it
- Maryland refused to ratify it because of land issues
>insisted that lands west of the Appalachian Mts. be
turned over to the new national government
- the Articles were adopted in 1781
The Government under the Articles of Confederation:
The states had more power than the federal government had
because the colonies feared a strong central government
1.
2.
3.
4.
Had only one branch of government, Congress
Set up a unicameral congress
Each state sent between 2 and 7 representatives
Each state received only one vote
*Small states had as much say as big states did
5. Each state had the power to tax, the central government
didn’t.
Congress had the power to:
1. wage war
2. make peace
3. handle foreign affairs
4. regulate trade with Native Americans
5. provide mail services
6. borrow and issue money
*Congress could make no changes to the Articles without permission from 9 of
the 13 states