The Articles of Confederation
The Articles of Confederation
The Articles were written in 1777 by John Dickinson, a Penn. Statesman
The original drafts of the Articles are modeled after existing state constitutions
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 the state governments limit the power of the national Congress
Weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation
Congress had no power to raise taxes
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
Strengths of the Articles of Confederation
The Treaty of Paris 1783 was signed
The Northwest Ordinance was past
Had the power to declare war and peace, print money, make treaties and settle state disputes
Strengths of the Articles of Confederation: Settling Western Lands
The Land Ordinance of 1785, stated that land in the west was to be surveyed using a grid system to establish 6 mile blocks
The Northwest Ordinance assisted in the orderly expansion of the United States, it outlined a plan for applying for statehood to western territories
5,000 free males who own 50 acres can start govt
Population of 60,000 could become a state
Settling Western lands
The Northwest Ordinance provides an orderly settlement process in the West
It promised
no slavery
education
freedom of religion
trial by jury
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.
Reasons for Shay’s Rebellion
Farmers are required to pay debts in gold, they have no money because they were not paid during the war
Wealthy lawmakers invested their money in the war too. And seek to get money from the farmers debts
Shays’s Rebellion
Poor farmers are not represented in the Mass legislature and cannot pass debt relief laws
The rebellion will free debtors from prisons and close courts that are hearing cases against farmers
Shays’s Rebellion
The Mass militia is called out to stop it
Poor farmers in 1791 elect officials who support their stance and will close courthouses and demand financial help from the Congress
Shays’s Rebellion will prompt national leaders to create a stonger central government
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”
Views about Shays’s Rebellion
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."
Original Presidents of the U.S. John Hanson (1715 - 1783) - Served from November 5, 1781 until November 3, 1782,
first President of the United States under the Articles of Confederation.
Elias Boudinot (1741 - 1802) - Served from November 4, 1782 until November 2,
1783.
Thomas Mifflin (1744 - 1800) - Served from November 3, 1783 to November 29, 1784.
Richard Henry Lee (1732 - 1794) - Served from November 30, 1784 to November 22,
1785
John Hancock (1737 - 1793) - Served from November 23, 1885 to June 5, 1786.
Nathaniel Gorham (1738 - 1796) - Served from June 6, 1786 to February 1, 1787.
Arthur St. Clair (1734 - 1818) - Served from February 2, 1787 until January 21, 1788 -He even predicted that under the vastly expanded centralized power of the state the taxing powers of bureaucrats and other unelected
officials would eventually confiscate as much as a quarter of the income of the citizens - a notion that seemed laughable at the time but that
has proven to be ominously modest in light of our current governmental leviathan.
Cyrus Griffin (1736 - 1796) - Served as the nation's chief executive from
January 22, 1788 until George Washington's inauguration as the 1st
President under the new Constitution on March 4, 1789
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