Revolution Aftermath and the Articles of Confederation

Unit 2, Lesson 4

Essential Idea

• As the United States formed its identity, the Articles of Confederation attempted to provide a new government.

Impact of War on Society• Impact of War:• The ideals of equality and

freedom became more popular

• These ideals were limited for women, blacks, and loyalists

• Impact of War on Women:• Women took care of farms

and businesses while men fought, and a few fought themselves

• Women felt more empowered and pushed for more equality with men

• Abigail Adams- wife of future President John Adams, asked him to “remember the ladies” during the revolution

• Women’s Role in America?

Impact on Blacks • Impact of War on Blacks:• Before the war, slavery existed in all colonies• Many people felt slavery did not fit the ideals of equality and freedom• After the war, slavery was eliminated in all northern states, but discrimination

continued• Slavery continued in southern states, where it was vital to the agricultural economy

The Loyalist Exodus

• Impact of War on Loyalists:

• Loyalists were discriminated against

• Loyalist Exodus- around 100,000 loyalists left America, mostly to Canada

New Political Ideas• 1. America created a republic, where power came from people through elections• 2. Many states created written constitutions that included branches of

government and lists of rights• 3. Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom- first law that separated church and

state government and allowed religious freedom

Articles of Confederation

• Articles of Confederation:• Created during first year of

American Revolution• First written plan of

government for the United States

• Government Structure:• One branch of government,

the legislative branch

Government under the Articles

• Congress was unicameral (one house) and each state had one representative

• No executive branch to enforce laws, no judicial branch to interpret laws

• Laws and amendments were almost impossible to pass

• The federal (central) government was VERY WEAK, giving most power to states

Why Weak Federal Government?• Why weak?• Many Americans did

not want a strong federal government

• They worried a strong federal government could become oppressive and give rise to another king

• Americans wanted as much freedom as possible

Strengths and Successes of AOC• Strength:• Power to declare war and raise an army• Success:• America was able to win the American Revolution and become independent

Strengths and Success of the AOC

• Strength:• Congress could control

the western territories• Success:• Northwest Ordinance

of 1787- set up a system for settling the Northwest Territory and turning it into states

• Northwest Ordinance

A Country of Slavery or Freedom?• This law banned slavery in the Northwest Territory • This meant the country would be divided between slave and free states as it

expanded• Slavery’s role in westward expansion caused tension and contributed to the Civil

War

Weaknesses and Failures of the AOC

• Weakness:• Weak federal government• Failures:• Foreign countries did not

respect the United States• Britain continued to occupy

forts in the Northwest Territory

• Spain disputed borders with America and claimed the Mississippi River, which southerners needed for trade

• Congress was too weak to fix either situation

Weaknesses and Failures of the AOC

• Weakness:• No power to regulate trade

or print money• Failures:• States printed their own

money• States competed with each

other and taxed each others’ trade (tariffs)

• States did not cooperate economically, creating disunion

Weaknesses and Failures of the AOC• Weakness:• No power to tax• Failures:• Could not afford to pay back war debts• Could not afford an army to deal with other countries or rebellions• Could not afford to build infrastructure (roads, bridges, etc.) to help states trade• States took care of themselves, often with high taxes

Shays’ Rebellion

• Causes:• Massachusetts

raised taxes to a high rate to pay its debts

• Western backcountry farmers were hurt by the tax and many lost their farms

Shays’ Rebellion

• Shays’ Rebellion:• Farmers wanted lower

taxes and an end to farm foreclosures and attacked courts

• Daniel Shays led 1,200 farmers to a federal arsenal to steal weapons and march to Boston

• The Massachusetts militia stopped the rebellion

Shays’ Rebellion• Consequences:• Shays’ Rebellion exposed

the WEAKNESS of the Articles of Confederation

• There was a threat of rebellions all over the country

• Congress could not raise an army to address this threat

• Congress could not stop the financial problems that led to rebellions

• Problems Under the Articles

Revise the Articles?• Revision?• The Articles of Confederation were TOO WEAK• Congress authorized the Philadelphia Convention, later called the Constitutional Convention,

to REVISE the Articles• The convention ended up REPLACING the Articles with the Constitution