THE WEAKNESSES OF THE ARTICLES OF
CONFEDERATION AND SHAYS' REBELLION
THE ARTICLES OF
CONFEDERATION
America’s 1st Constitution 1781-1789
The first system of government
designed by the Founding Fathers was
a Confederation. Under a Confederate
system, the National or Central
Government is given only a few powers,
while most of the power is reserved for
the States.
1. WHY DID THE FOUNDING FATHERS CHOOSE
A CONFEDERATION PLAN OF GOVERNMENT?
A.
They were afraid of giving the central government
too much power
B.
They wanted to keep the states separate from each
other
C.
They did not trust George Washington
THE ARTICLES OF
CONFEDERATION
America’s 1st Constitution 1781-1789
The Articles had 2 major
achievements:
1)Bringing the Revolutionary War
to a successful conclusion
2) North West Ordinance (plan for
governing the western lands)
THE ARTICLES OF
CONFEDERATION
America’s 1st Constitution 1781-1789
Congress was given
the power to:
Declare War &
Establish an
Army/Navy
No Power to
Draft Soldiers
DO YOU THINK THAT IT IS OKAY TO DRAFT SOLDIERS
TO A WAR THEY DON’T BELIEVE IN?
A. YES
B. NO
THE ARTICLES OF
CONFEDERATION
America’s 1 Constitution 1781-1789
st
Congress was given
the power to:
Make Peace &
Sign Treaties
No Power to
Enforce Treaties
THE ARTICLES OF
CONFEDERATION
America’s 1 Constitution 1781-1789
st
Congress was given
the power to:
Borrow Money
No Power to
Collect Taxes
from the States
THE ARTICLES OF
CONFEDERATION
America’s 1 Constitution 1781-1789
st
Congress was given
the power to:
Organize a
Post Office
THE ARTICLES OF
CONFEDERATION
America’s 1 Constitution 1781-1789
st
Congress was given
the power to:
No Chief Executive
No national court system
No Power to Regulate
Interstate Commerce
No National Currency
Difficult to Pass laws
(2/3 vote)
THE ARTICLES OF
CONFEDERATION
America’s 1 Constitution 1781-1789
st
Congress was given
the power to:
Difficult to
Amend
(unanimous vote
needed to change the
articles)
SUM IT UP: THE ARTICLES OF
CONFEDERATION
Congress was given the •
•
power to:
•
Declare War
•
Make Peace
•
Sign Treaties
•
Borrow Money
Establish an Army & Navy •
•
Organize a Post Office
•
No Chief Executive
No National Court System
No Power to Draft Soldiers
No Power to Control Interstate
Commerce
No Power to Enforce Treaties
No Power to Collect Taxes from
the States
Difficult to Pass Laws (2/3 vote)
No National Currency
Difficult to Amend
• (Unanimous Vote Needed to
Change Articles)
Why did the Founding Fathers
Choose a Confederation plan
of government?
A.
B.
C.
They feared that a strong central government would
create tyranny, and stamp out the peoples natural God
given rights.
They wanted to eventually become different countries
They wanted to make amends with England and rebuild
their Colonial systems.
IT'S ALL ABOUT POWER!
Why was the central government
so weak?
Look at the Americans'
experience with the powerful
central government of Britain
Do the opposite!
BUT WHAT IF THE GOVERNMENT DOESN'T HAVE
ENOUGH POWER?
Federal
Rights
States'
Rights
BIG PROBLEMS!
ONE MAJOR WEAKNESS:
Congress did not have the power to
collect taxes from the states.
COULD I PLEASE HAVE $1000?
NO!
NO!
NO!
NO!
WHAT'S A GOVERNMENT TO DO?
Hmmmm....why don't I just print some
more money?
PRINTING
MONEY NEVER
SOLVES YOUR
PROBLEMS!
WHICH WOULD YOU RATHER HAVE?
MONEY ISN'T WORTH THE PAPER IT'S PRINTED ON!
Money is only worth
what other people
will give you for it!
PAPER MONEY REPRESENTS REAL THINGS
One piece
of gold
=
One piece of
paper ($1)
PAPER MONEY REPRESENTS REAL THINGS
One can of
soda
=
One piece of
paper ($1)
THEREFORE...
One can of
soda
=
One piece of
gold
WHAT IF YOU DON'T HAVE ENOUGH?
WHAT IF SOMEONE WON'T GIVE YOU WHAT YOU
WANT FOR THE PIECE OF PAPER THAT YOU HAVE?
CAN YOU JUST PRINT MORE PAPER?
NO! IT DOESN'T WORK THAT WAY!
Remember...paper money represents real things. You
haven't changed the number of real things, just the
number of pieces of paper!
=
=
ACK! INFLATION!!!
Now your paper money is worth
less!
=
=
Soda used to cost $1. Now it costs $2!
PRINTING MONEY NEVER SOLVES A GOVERNMENT'S
PROBLEMS!
Inflation was so out of control in Germany that in 1923, it cost 4 million of their dollars to buy
a loaf of bread!
WHAT WE'VE LEARNED SO FAR...
1.
Money is only worth what people will give you for it.
2.
Printing more money doesn't solve your economic problems.
WEAK GOVERNMENT = PROBLEMS!
Here's an explanation of how the weaknesses of the
Articles of Confederation led to Shays' Rebellion,
which led to the creation of the Constitution.
DANIEL SHAYS
Captain in the Revolutionary
War
Retired from the army
Wanted to be a farmer in
Massachusetts
UH OH...NO MONEY!
Remember! The Congress didn't have the power
to tax states...they could only ask for money!
The states said no!
So Congress couldn't pay its bills!
So they printed more money!
So they caused inflation and made money worth
less!
HOW CAN YOU BE A FARMER IF YOU HAVE NO
MONEY?
Get a loan from the bank!
Plant your seeds!
When your crops are
grown, harvest them,
sell them, and pay your
loan back!
UH OH...PROBLEMS!
What if the
bank wants
its money
back NOW?
But your
crops
haven't
grown
yet?
THE REPO MAN COMES!
The bank repossesses the farms and kicks the former soldiers out of their homes!
WHY DIDN'T THEY HAVE ANY MONEY?
Inflation! The money they did have was worthless.
Taxes! The state of Massachusetts had placed high taxes
that hit the farmers very hard.
WHO CARES ABOUT HAVING A FARM ANYWAY?
Without property, you can't feed your family!
Without property, you can't vote!
Without property, you can't make money!
Without making money, you get thrown into
debtor's prison!
GIVE ME MY HOUSE!
Daniel Shays and the farmers pick
up their guns and go to the state
courthouse to stop them from
foreclosing on their homes.
AND IT WORKED!!!
SO THEY KEPT DOING IT...
And made the people in the government afraid!
The government made new laws
that were meant to punish Shays
and his followers.
THE CONGRESS CAN'T HELP
Since the Articles of Confederation did not give
Congress the power to raise a standing army,
the federal government could not help stop
the rebellion.
THE CLIMAX
The state of Massachusetts sets up an army.
Shays and his followers try to take over a federal
arsenal to get more guns so that they could
fight the army.
SHAYS AND HIS MEN LOST THE BATTLE.
SOME OF THEM GOT THE DEATH PENALTY
FOR HAVING PARTICIPATED IN THE
REBELLION.
TO THE CONSTITUTION...
The failure of the federal government to solve
the problem of Shays' Rebellion made people
understand that the Articles of Confederation
had made the government too weak.
A Constitutional Convention was called to solve
the problem.
THE CONSTITUTION IS BORN!
After 16 weeks of arguments, the new Constitution was
created.
And that's the government that we still have today!
WHY DID THE FOUNDING FATHERS BELIEVE THE
ARTICLES NEEDED TO BE REPLACED BY THE US
CONSTITUTION?
A. They wanted to have a new King
B. We only needed a stronger army
C. We were too divided and had no common systems
D. The Federal Government could not enforce its rules
E. C and D
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