Transcript Articles of Confederation

Mr. Yancey’s Coat of Arms
Creating the Constitution
After the American Revolution
• After the war was over, each of the new 13 states
began creating their own state governments. Some
states started to separate the power of their
government into different branches and some
governments even listed the rights of people in Bill
of Rights.
• All state governments were a Republic. A
republican form of government is when people
choose representatives to govern them.
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The Articles of Confederation
• During the Revolution, the new
United States needed a functioning
national government.
• The Continental Congress wanted
to model the Government after
colonial governments
• They came up with the Articles of
Confederation.
• States would retain most of the
power.
• Founders were fearful of
concentrated power due to past
experience with the British
Articles of Confederation: the government
of the United States during and after the
Revolutionary war
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A Limited Government
• Articles established a “firm
league of friendship” among
the states
• Congress would be made up
of one representative from
each state.
• Bills were passed on nine of
thirteen votes
• Amending (changing) the
Articles took unanimous
consent of the states
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Structure of Government
• Unicameral (single house)
legislative body
• Each state had one vote
regardless of population size
• Congress given sole
authority to govern the
country
• An executive committee
oversaw government when
Congress was not in session
• Congress would establish
temporary courts to hear
disputes among the states
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Powers Granted to Government
under the Articles of Confederation
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Declare war and make peace
Make treaties with foreign countries
Print, and borrow money
Establish weights and measures
Hear disputes among the states related to trade or boundaries
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Powers Denied to Government
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No power to raise funds for an army or navy
No power to tax, impose tariffs, or collect duties
No executive branch to enforce laws
No power to control trade among the states
No power to force states to honor obligations
No power to regulate the value of currency
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Accomplishments of the Articles
of Confederation
• Ruled over the nation during
the Revolutionary War
• Negotiated the Treaty of
Paris with Britain in 1783
• Established the Northwest
Ordinance of 1787.
Colonies like Virginia had
previously claimed all of the
land. Now it would be a
territory with the possibility
of future statehood.
Map of the land settled in the
Northwest Ordinance of 1787
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Problems Facing the New Nation
• Trade with foreign nations.
• U.S. no longer the favorite trading partner of Great Britain
– U.S. exports to British ports had to be on British ships
– Many U.S.-produced goods were barred from British ports
– Britain sent vast amounts of cheap goods to U.S.
• Potential Remedy
– Establish a tariff on British goods (Weakness of Articles of
Confederation preventing this solution)
• Financing the nation. States made their own money.
• Interstate relations. States fought over borders, water, and other
things.
The United States would solve these problems with the Constitution
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