Unit 2
Chapter 2, Section 3
Articles of Confederation
Mr. Young
Government
Essential Question
 What
major
weaknesses
about the Articles
of Confederation
led the 1787
Convention to
scrap them and
write the
Constitution?
Articles of Confederation Video
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q
QtJNK5_8Uk&feature=related
 15 Min.
Confederation
Ways Government Distributes Power
Region
al
Authori
ty
Region
al
Authori
ty
Centr
al
Authori
ty
Region
al
Authori
ty
Region
al
Authori
ty
Articles of Confederation


The Articles of
Confederation basically
continued the structure
and operation of
government as
established under the
Second Continental
Congress.
By March 1781, all 13
states had ratified, or
approved, the Articles
of Confederation.
Articles of Confederation
 Ratified-
approved, on March 1781
 States wanted a confederation
among the 13 states instead of a
strong national government
Government under the Articles
Unicameral- single
chamber Congress
from which executive
positions were chosen
 No federal court
system
 Congress settled
disputes among
States
 Each state had one
vote in Congress

Government Under the Articles
Cont.
Congress
had
only powers
expressed in
the Articles
All other power
remained with
the States
Powers of Congress under Articles
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Make War and Peace
Send and receive ambassadors
Enter into treaties
Raise and equip a navy
Maintain army by help of states
Appoint senior military officers
Fix standard of weights and measures
Regulate Indian affairs
Establish Post offices
Decide certain disputes among states
Weaknesses of the Articles
 The
Articles of Confederation gave
Congress power, they still created a
weak national government
Weaknesses
1)

Congress did
not have the
power to levy or
collect taxes
It could only
raise money by
borrowing or
requesting
money
Weaknesses
2) Congress
did not have
the power to
regulate trade
Weaknesses
3) Congress
could not force
anyone to
obey the laws
it passed or
abide by the
Articles
Weaknesses
4) Laws needed the approval
of 9 of 13 states
Usually only get 9 or 10,
each state only has 1 vote,
the 5 smaller states could
block the 8 larger states
Weaknesses
5) Amending
the articles
required all
consent of all
states
The articles
were never
amended
Weaknesses
6) Central
government had no
executive branch
No unity in policy
making and no way
to coordinate the
work of the
different
committees
Weaknesses
7) No national
court system
 State courts
enforced and
interpreted
national laws
 Difficult to settle
disputes among
states
Achievements
 Greatest
achievement was of
a land policy for
lands west of
Appalachia
 Individual states
ceded or yielded
their claims to the
central government
 Congress enacted
two land
Ordinances- laws
Land Ordinances
1.
2.
Ordinance of
1785- survey
and division of
West lands
Northwest
Ordinance of
1787- territories
to be developed
for statehood on
equal basis w/old
states
Other Achievements



In 1783, negotiated a
peace treaty with
Great Britain and
recognized American
Independence
4 Cabinet
departments: Foreign
Affairs, War, Marine,
and Treasury
Provided full faith and
credit to help treat
citizens without
discrimination
Need for a Stronger Government
 States
quarrel over
boundary lines and
deal with foreign
nations
 1787 government
owed $40 million
to foreign
governments and
Revolutionary war
vets
Shays’s Rebellion
Armed groups of
farmers closed
courts to prevent
farm foreclosures
 Daniel Shays’s
closed the
Massachusetts and
then gathered a
force of 1200 men
and advanced to
arsenal in Springfield

The Annapolis Convention
1)
Concerned about
problems between
the states of
Maryland and
Virginia, called
the Mount Vernon
Convention to
discuss currency,
import duties, and
navigation
Annapolis Convetion
2) In 1786, in
Annapolis, Maryland a
convention was called
to discuss commerce
3) In 1787 a
convention would meet
in Philadelphia to revise
the Articles, but they
would scrap them and
it would be called the
Constitutional
Convention