A New National Government: “We the People” Lesson 11 pp 93-100
Articles of Confederation Prep
Key Terms:
 Delegates: A person chosen to act or represent others
 Confederation: Loose alliance among sovereign states: 1776-1789
 Confederation Congress: Legislative branch under the Articles of
Confederation. Unicameral (1 house and 1 branch)
 National Government (central): Organization of having central political
authority in a nation
Questions:
1. Why did the Founders believe a national government was necessary? To unify the states
and to conduct the Revolutionary War.
2. Why did the people of the new independent states fear a strong national government?
People feared a strong national government because they believed that the British
government had taken away the people’s rights. They wanted to stay away from a central
government with too much power. At the same time they worried that each state will be
more powerful
3. What were the Articles of Confederation? First Constitution of the nation that created our
first national government. Created in 1777 and ratified (signed in 1781 to 1789)
4. How did the Articles organize the national government to address the fears of the people
and the states? By creating only a legislative branch, Congress had little power over the
states and their citizens, and every action of Congress had to have the consent, approval,
and cooperation of the states. Each state was given one vote in Congress and that 9 out
of 13 states must agree on all important matters.
What parts of the government were not included in the Articles of Confederation? Executive &
Judicial
5. What did the national government achieve under the Articles of Confederation?
Northwest ordinance—movement West
Declare war—Revolutionary War
Deal with foreign trade
Articles of Confederation & Shay’s Rebellion--Class Outline (Review of questions on the front)
Colonies united by Central Government=National Government
I.
States Fear:
1. Too much power to central government
2. Afraid that some states will have too much power over others
II. Articles of Confederation: after much debate at the continental congress, they (framers)
created a legislature.
Confederation=alliance of independent nations
Confederation Congress: Central Legislative Branch
Solve the fears:
1. Unicameral (1 house/1branch)—no executive or judicial
2. Congress will be weaker to limit its powers
3. Each state has only 1 vote no matter the size
Main achievements:
a. Northwest Ordinance: people of the Northwestern lands have the right to organize their
own government as long as they follow the following: 1. Set up Basic Rights; 2. Outlaw
slavery; 3. Region divided into smaller territories. (than they can be asked to be
admitted as a new state) **build empire**
b.
c.
d.
e.
Declare war
Appoint military officers
Make laws (states recognizing others)
Negotiated foreign treaty
Problems:
Create a weak National government
LOOSE ALLIANCE AMONG STATES
a. Little economic power (can’t collect taxes; had to borrow money from the states)
b. No power over the states (can’t enforce laws…no executive branch)
c. No executive or judicial branch
III. Shay’s Rebellion
Leader: Daniel Shays
Followers: Farmers (2,000 in MA)
Reason: State not protecting their rights (economic problems)-taking away farms, raising taxes
Results: National Government is too weak; the Articles of Confederation is not working; need to
revise: Constitutional Convention 1787
Opinion Question: (write your response in your notebook section)
When Thomas Jefferson heard about Shay’s Rebellion, he wrote: “The spirit of resistance to
government is so valuable on occasion that I wish it to be always kept alive.” Do you think
shay’s Rebellion was good for the United States? Explain (open ended paragraph format)
~Good: focused attention on problems of the Articles of Confederation and forced leaders to
resolve them; Purpose of government—protect people, if people don’t like it, they change it!
Need for a new government in which it is a democracy (for the people, by the people)
~Not Good: it could have destabilized the young nation (could have fallen apart); peaceful
measures need to be taken to make the changes—not a war