The Articles of Confederation
and Shay’s Rebellion:
Impetus for Change
Chapter 2
What were strengths and weaknesses of the
AoC?
What was Shay’s Rebellion?
Why was Shay’s Rebellion an important force
for writing the Constitution?
The Articles of Confederation
(drafted 1777; ratified 1781)
• Continued the structure and operation of
the government established by the Second
Continental Congress
• established a “league of friendship” among
the 13 independent states
• Structure was unicameral (singlechamber).
• Each state had one vote in Congress, no
matter size or population.
Key terms
• Confederation: a government where the
national government gets its powers from the
states; a league of independent states
• Republic: government rooted in the consent of
the governed; representative or indirect
democracy
• Federal system (federalism): government
where the national government and state
governments share power, derive authority from
the people, and powers of national government
are outlined in a constitution
Achievements of Articles
• Fair development of land to the west of the Appalachians
– Northwest Ordinance of 1787: established the principle that the
territories were to be developed for statehood on the equal basis
with the older states.
• Peace treaty with Great Britain
– Enlarged US territory by acquiring land from the Atlantic Coast to
the Mississippi River and from The Great Lakes and Canada to
Florida.
• Set up Departments for Foreign Affairs, War, Marine, and
Treasury with secretaries
– Precedent for creation of cabinet departments
• Encouraged “full faith and credit” of states: states to
honor the legal acts of other states
Powers under the Articles
• make war and peace
• send and receive
ambassadors
• enter into treaties
• raise and equip navy
• maintain an army by
requesting troops from
the states (national
guard)
• appoint senior military
officers
• fix standards of weights
and measures
• regulate Indian affairs
• establish post offices
• decide certain disputes
among states
• All other powers
resided with states
Weaknesses of the Articles
• No power to levy or collect taxes
– State collected money and turned it over to
the national treasury
– Could not back up value of coinage/money
• No power to regulate trade
– Individual states tried to create treaties with
foreign countries
• No executive branch
– Fearful of tyrannical ruler
– President=oversees meetings of legislature
(John Hanson)
• No national court system
– State courts enforced and interpreted laws
– Conflict between states over boundaries and land
ownership (VA vs PA)
• No unity in policy
– Unwilling to give up any power or rights
– Soldiers resentful of unpaid service
• No power to enforce laws
–
–
–
–
Laws needed 9 of 13 states for approval
Not all delegates were in congress at the same time
5 small states could block what larger states wanted
Needed consent of all states for amendments
Need for Stronger Government (1781-1787)
Debt from the Revolution: Shay’s Rebellion
• MA adopts constitution 1780 that favors interests of the
rich
• Banks began to foreclose on farmers—many of whom
were veterans, waiting for promised pay bonuses by the
government
• Fall 1786: MA legislature enacted law requiring all debts
be paid in cash
– Daniel Shays, former captain and farmer, leads 1,500 armed
farmers to force state courts to close to prevent foreclosures on
their land
– When pleas were ignored, 1,200 advanced on the federal
arsenal
– Only after months of scrambling was the MA government able to
suppress the farmers (Feb. 1787); this alarmed American
leaders fearful of internal rebellion and civil war
Annapolis Convention (1786)
• Called together to discuss commerce,
specifically those barriers that limited trade
between the largely independent states
under the Articles, but ended with planning
another convention in Philadelphia for the
sole purpose of revising the Articles of
Confederation.
Writing the Constitution
May-September 1787
What were important plans and compromises
made during the Constitution?
What were motivations of the Framers?
What was the fear surrounding the Executive
branch?
The Constitutional Convention
 “the sole and express purpose of revising the Articles of
Confederation”
 Constitution: document establishing the structure, functions, and
limitations of a government
 Prepared for treason? (completely new plans for gov’t)
 Fifty-five delegates from across the colonies attend; sworn to secrecy
(accompany Ben Franklin to meals)
 Refer to delegates as “Founding Fathers” or Framers, although average
age was 32
 Has been debate about Framers’ motives:
 Economic?
 Social factors? (order & stability)
What point is the cartoonist trying to communicate in this cartoon?
Virginia Plan
 Major issue of Convention: how to treat differences between large and
small states in the new union; regional differences
 Plan favored by the large states; proposed by Randolph and Madison of VA
(European nation-state model—power from the people, not indiv. states)
 Three-branch government (leg, exec, jud)
 Two-house legislature
 One house chosen by people, one by legislatures
 Legislature can choose executive and judiciary
New Jersey Plan
 Strengthen Articles—don’t replace them
 Plan favored by small states; proposed by William Paterson of NJ
 One house legislature with one vote for each state
 Representatives chosen by state legislatures
 Congress can raise revenues from duties (taxes) on imports and
postal service
 Supreme Court with life terms appointed by executive
The Great (Connecticut)
Compromise

Two-house (bi-cameral) legislature: House and Senate
 House chosen by people, Senate by state legislatures
 House based on population, two per state in Senate
 Proposed by Roger Sherman of Connecticut
 The only person to sign all four great state papers of the U.S.: the Continental Association,
the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation and the Constitution.
 Revenue bills (spending/raising money) originate in the House

National government is supreme

Chief executive chooses Supreme Court

Appeases both large and small states
Other compromises
 Three-Fifths Compromise regarding slavery
 Apportionment of taxes by adding number of free people+3/5 of “other Persons”
 Balance southern commercial interests with northern concerns
 20 years more slave trade (1807); ban on taxing exports to protect cotton trade
 South to hold 47% of House (prevent slavery attack, but not to foster spread of slavery)

Committee on Unfinished Portions handles executive
 President with four-year term (could be reelected)
 Electoral College (“to avoid tumult and disorder” of mass election; FP #68)

President can be removed from office by Congress
 House: impeachment; Senate: conviction and removal