Civics Unit 1.3
“Articles of Confederation and
the New Constitution”
(ch. 3.1)
Articles of Confederation
A. State Governments
1. After the Declaration, each state wrote their own
constitution
2. Each state made its own laws and governed itself
B. Formation of the Articles
1. 1777 the Second Continental Congress wrote the
Articles of Confederation
2. Primary purpose: To form a single strong army
under one commander to fight the British
C.Make-up of the Articles
1. confederation- individual state
governments coming together for
a common purpose
2. unicameral (1house) legislatureeach state one vote
3. Powers:
1. to make treaties w/ foreign
countries
2. wage war
3. 9 of 13 states needed to pass laws
II. Accomplishments of The Articles
A. General Accomplishments
1. Helped coordinate and win the
Revolutionary War
2. 1st plan of gov’t, lasted for 10
years
B. Ordinance of 1785- Set up an
system for surveying & selling lands
to the west (made $ for gov’t)
C. Northwest Ordinance of 1787 Created system of admitting new
states in the Union
1. prohibited slavery in the Northwest
territory, but allowed it in the 13 states
III. Weaknesses
A. System of Congress
1. 9/13 states to pass any law
2. all states must agree to amend the
Articles
3. No power to
1. collect taxes
2. regulate trade
3. enforce laws
B. Lack of Central Power
1. States decide how much power to give
the national government
2. Legislative Branch only
1. No national leader
2. No national courts
C. Problems of Confederation
1. Each state had different
constitutions and laws
1. Conflict b/w states
2. No national regulation of
interstate trade
1. tariffs levied on goods
imported from other states &
other countries
3. U.S. & State governments in
debt1. high taxes in many states
Unit 1.3
The Articles of Confederation
I.
What were The Articles of Confederation?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pbJHH9F9-Q&feature=youtu.be
II. How was the government organized?
III. What were the:
Weaknesses
Achievements
2.
1.
3.
Weaknesses
of the Articles
of
Confederation
Warm Up
• How were the ideas of John Locke
expressed in the Declaration of
Independence?
• Name 2 problems that the U.S. experienced
under the Articles of Confederation.
• What were two accomplishments of the US
gov’t under the Articles?
Congress –The Legislative Branch
1.4 The Constitutional Convention
Creating America’s 2nd plan of
government (Ch.3)
I. 1787 Philadelphia Constitutional Convention
A. Reasons for convention
1. Shays’ rebellion, weak
government, debt,
interstate trade difficulties
2. Led by James Madison
and George Washington
(president of convention)
1. 12 of 13 states agree to
meet to “revise” Articles
2. 55 men -all leaders in
their colonies
II. Compromises
A. Virginia Plan
1. James Madison the main
contributor
2. Very similar to our federal
government- President,
Courts, and bicameral
Congress
3. Representation by
population
1. Favored states with
large populations
B. New Jersey Plan
1. Very similar to Articles
2. One house congress
3. Equal representation for all states
4. Included a Legislative, Executive, Judicial
Branch
C. Great Compromise
(bicameral legislature)
1. Led by Roger
Sherman of
Connecticut
1. two house
Congress
(bicameral)
2. upper is equal and
lower is by
population
2. Neither group was
completely happy
Answer the following
questions based on
the 1790 census data
chart:
a. What are the 3
largest and 3 least
populated states?
b. Which states
would want the
slaves to count as
part of the
population?
III. Other Compromises
A. Three-Fifths Compromise
1. Southern states wanted slaves to count
toward population for representation
2. Every slave would count as 3/5ths of a
person
3. This continued slavery for another 80 years
B. Trade and Commerce Compromise
1. Northern states wanted:
Congress to control all trade
2. Southern states: were afraid of
Congress
1. taxing exports
2. stopping importation of
slaves
3. Compromise:
1. Congress controls trade
2. not allowed to tax exports
3. slave trade to end in 1808
C. Electoral College Compromise
1. Should Congress or the people decide who is
president?
2. Compromise:Each state gets Electoral College
votes based on number of representatives in
Congress
1. For each state:
1. # of members in the House of Representatives
+ 2 senators
2. Even the smallest state has three electoral votes
(power much greater, than if individual citizen’s
votes counted)
IV. Protection of Individual Rights
A. Constitution itself did not provide a
written guarantee of individual rights
a. Federalists –group who believed that
the Constitution of 1787 by itself
would limit government
1. James Madison & Alexander
Hamilton wrote the Federalist
Papers to encourage the states to
ratify the 1787 Constitution
b. Antifederalists –group who believed
that a Bill of rights was needed to
protect individual rights & limit
government
B. Ratification of the Constitution
a. Constitution needed to ratified by 9 of
13 states
b. 3/4th of the states are still needed
to amend (change) the Constitution
c. 9 states ratified by June of 1788,
but the rest refused until a bill of rights
was added
d. Bill of Rights (the first10
Amendments) added in September of
1789
How many rights can you name?
• What individual rights are protected by the
Bill of Rights?
Warm Up
• Who do you think said this?
A Federalist or Anti-federalist. Explain
your reasoning:
• “I affirm bills of rights, are not
necessary in the proposed Constitution”
What would federalists and antifederalists think of this cartoon?
A Less than Perfect Union
Weaknesses of
Articles of
Confederation
1
2
3
4
5
6
Problems this
caused
Solution Found in
the Constitution
Ticket Out
• What is the Bill of Rights?
• Why was it created?
Warm up
• Continue working on your
Ratification of the
Constitution documents wkst
Individual Task
• From your reading of your assigned biography,
ANSWER on your own paper:
1. Do you think the US should have a strong
central (national) gov’t. Why or why not?
2. Do you think the Constitution should have a
Bill of Rights? Why or why not?
3. Do you favor or oppose the Constitution. Why
or why not?
Group Simulation
• Introduce yourself: who are and
why do you support:
–Keeping the Articles of
Confederation or strong national
gov’t
–One other issue about gov’t that
interests or concerns you
• Then complete the chart on the
next slide
Federalist & Anti-Federalist Positions
Issue
Does the U.S. need
a strong central
gov’t
Power of the 13
states
(State Power)
Bill of Rights
Articles of
Confederation
Supporters
(by name)
Federalists
Anti-Federalists