Articles of Confederation
1781-1789
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Articles of Confederation
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First written U.S. Constitution
Limited powers of central government
No independent judiciary or executive branch
Confederation of equal states
States retained individual sovereignty
States executed laws
Each state had one vote in Congress
Congressional representatives chosen by the
state legislatures
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National Powers under the Articles
Congress could:
 Declare
war
 Send and receive ambassadors
 Make treaties
 Borrow money
 Build and equip an army and navy
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National Weaknesses under the
Articles of Confederation
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No executive or president
No federal judiciary
Limited protection from foreign threats
Ineffective against domestic threats
Inability to regulate commerce
Inability to raise revenue
Inability to regulate currency
States forced to compete with one another
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Successes
of the
Articles
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Congress Declares Independence
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Organizes and Wins a
War of Independence,
1775-1783
George Washington
at Princeton
By Charles Wilson Peale
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Incorporating the Western Territories
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Congress Discusses Slavery in the
Western Territories
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Congress Decides How to Divide the
Western Territories
Land Ordinance
of 1785
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Congress Determines How New
States Can Enter the Union
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Relations With Native Americans
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Shifting Political Tides in the
“Critical Period”
Large, new class of political empowered
citizens
 The balance of political power shifted
within the states
 Legislatures were dominated by radicals.
 Shay’s Rebellion, 1786
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Events Leading to the New Federal
Constitution
Border disputes between the states
 Disagreements between the states
 Treaty violations by Great Britain
 Barbary pirates effect trade
 Shay’s Rebellion
 Annapolis Convention
 Agreement to hold another convention
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The Mount Vernon Conference
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Shay’s Rebellion
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Annapolis Convention
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Congress Tries to Revise the
Articles of Confederation
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Congress Calls a New Convention
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Creating a Constitution
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The Constitutional Convention
Drafts a New Constitution
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The Constitutional Convention
Completes a New Constitution
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The Constitution is Ratified
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The Congress Institutes a New
Government
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