The Articles of
Confederation
approved November 15, 1777
a “firm league of friendship” among
the states
Who was the first president of
the United States?
John Hanson
(1781-1782)
unicameral Congress
All states had one vote, regardless of
population or wealth.
What is missing from the Articles?
make war and peace
send and receive ambassadors
make treaties
borrow money and set up a money system
establish post offices
build a navy
raise an army by asking the states to send
troops
fix uniform standards of weights and
measures
settle disputes among the states
to obey acts of Congress
provide funds and troops requested
regard citizens and acts of other states as
binding
surrender fugitives from justice to each other
submit disputes to Congress
provide for open travel among the states
no power to tax—could only borrow
no power to regulate trade among the states or
with foreign powers
no power to enforce laws (no executive and no
judicial system)
needed the consent of 9 of 13 states for laws to
pass
could not amend without all 13 states
• (No amendment was ever passed!)
only one vote for each state, regardless of size
could not enforce treaties
no effective military force
 Revolutionary War ends October 19, 1781
 problems soon started to surface
economic chaos leads to violence
1786- Daniel Shays leads an armed
uprising
Maryland and Virginia (March 1785)
5/13 states (September 1786)
Call for another meeting in
Philadelphia in 1787
The Founding Fathers were not
stupid. Why did they design the
Articles of Confederation with a
weak central government?
unanimously elected George
Washington as president of the
convention
majority of states needed to conduct
business
each state delegation had one vote
majority of votes would carry a
proposal
kept their deliberations secret to avoid
outside pressure
Similarities
The Virginia Plan
The New Jersey Plan
The Virginia Plan
Randolph Plan/ LargeState Plan
The New Jersey Plan
Paterson Plan/ SmallState Plan
created by James
Madison; presented by
Randolph
 3 separate branches
(legislative, executive
and judicial)
 bicameral legislature
 representation based
on population or
money given
 unicameral Congress
 each state equally
represented
 granted Congress the
power to tax and
regulate trade between
the states
 “federal executive” of
more than one person
 “federal judiciary”
The Virginia Plan
-bicameral legislature
-representation based on
population
similarities
-3 branches
(legislative,
judicial and
executive)
-Congress
can regulate
trade
The New Jersey Plan
-unicameral legislature
-equal representation in
Congress
-Congress can levy taxes
Congress should be composed of two
houses
smaller Senate: states represented
equally
larger House: states represented based
on population
Should slaves be counted in the
populations of the southern states?
“all free persons” should be counted,
and so, too should “three-fifths of all
other persons”
same formula used in fixing the
amount of money to be raised in each
state by any tax levied by Congress
State
Total Population
Slave Population
% Slave Population
Connecticut
238,000
2,648
1.11 %
Delaware
59,000
8,887
15.06%
Georgia
83,000
29,264
35.26%
Maryland
320,000
103,036
32.20%
Massachusetts
476,000
0
0%
New Hampshire
142,000
157
0.11%
New Jersey
184,000
11,423
6.21%
New York
340,000
21,193
6.23%
North Carolina
394,000
100,783
25.58%
Pennsylvania
434,000
3,707
0.85%
Rhode Island
69,000
958
1.39%
South Carolina
249,000
107,094
43.01%
Virginia
692,000
292,627
42.29%
Congress had the power to regulate
foreign and interstate trade
Why was the south upset with this
idea?
Congress can’t tax exports and could
not act on the slave trade for at least
20 years
39 signed—3 refused
Federalists vs. Anti-Federalists