The Articles of
Confederation
AFTER THE REVOLUTION
• America was now an independent nation having
won the Revolutionary War, but now what? What
would the country and the government look like?
• Our good friend John Green explains 
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bO7FQsCcbD8
The Articles of Confederation
• The Articles were written
in 1777 by John
Dickinson, a Penn.
Delegate (remember him
from our film?)
• The Articles were
accepted by Congress in
1781 and is considered
the first national
constitution.
The Articles of Confederation
• The fear of having too
much power in one
person’s hands reflects
the experiences the
colonies had under a
monarchy
• In the Articles a national
government is formed but
the state governments
limit the power of this
national Congress
Articles of Confederation Chart
• Examine the image and read the text for each
Placard.
• Take notes in the appropriate box on your
chart.
Limits of The Articles of
Confederation
• The National government under the Articles did
not have the power to tax or enforce laws. Those
powers were left up to the states.
• The national government had the power to wage
war, BUT since they couldn’t tax, there was no way
to pay for it.
• The government could issue money, BUT the
states didn’t have to use it. They had their own.
Limits of the Articles of
Confederation
• Congress had no power regulate foreign or
state trade
• Laws had to be approved by 9 out of 13
states
• Congress did not have the power to enforce
laws
• Since the national government could not
tax, and the national money was worthless,
debt became a huge problem.
• The biggest problem was that the soldiers
who had fought the war, had not been paid,
and they were dismayed.
The Northwest Ordinance
• One of the things the new government was
allowed to do was divide any new lands the
United States acquired.
• 5,000 free males who own 50 acres can start govt.
• Under the Northwest Ordinance, when 60,000
people lived in a territory, they could apply to
become a state.
• Slavery was also outlawed, but runaway slaves
were to be returned to their lawful “owners.”
• Freedom of religion and trial by jury were
guaranteed.
Northwest Territory
• The Northwest Territory
was east of the
Mississippi River and
north of the Ohio River.
The states of Ohio,
Indiana, Illinois,
Michigan, and
Wisconsin would be
formed from this area.
Shays’ Rebellion – Mass.
• The money paid to the soldiers who had fought in the
Revolution was worthless.
• As a result, the farmers were unable to pay their debts
because they were expected to pay their debt in gold.
• The farmers were taken to court, then to jail, and their land
was taken away from them.
• In 1786, an armed revolt broke out by farmers against the
Mass. state government.
• Led by Daniel Shays, the farmers began to forcibly prevent the
courts from meeting so they couldn’t take anyone else’s land away
or put them in jail.
• Early in 1787, the Governor sent 4,400 men against the
rebels and the rebels were defeated.
• Shays and the other rebels were eventually pardoned.
Results of Shays’ Rebellion
• Shays’ Rebellion showed the leaders of America
that the Articles of Confederation were too weak,
and a stronger national government was needed.
Views about Shays’s Rebellion
Samuel Adams Said What?!
• “Rebellion against a king
may be pardoned, or
lightly punished, but the
man who dares to rebel
against the laws of a
republic ought to suffer
death”
• Adams will also write a law
called the Riot Act, which
prohibits 12 people or
more from meeting and
gives the government the
power to shoot rioters!
• Samuel sure has changed
since 1776!
Thomas Jefferson Said What?!
• "A little rebellion now
and then is a good thing.
It is a medicine
necessary for the sound
health of government.
God forbid that we
should ever be twenty
years without such a
rebellion."