The Articles of Confederation

Our First Set of Laws(That didn’t work )

Ideas for a New Government

• Like our country today, our soon to be formed government was a mix of many different ideas.

• We took our ideas from:– Great Britain & Parliament– Early colonial governments– John Locke– Thomas Jefferson– James Madison– John Adams

John Locke – All people are entitled to life, liberty, & property

Ideas for a New Government1. Magna Charta

• Document signed by the king that made him subject to law.

• (King can’t do ANYTHING he wants)

2. English Bill of Rights

• Says Parliament RULES!• K or Q cannot change

laws without P’s consent• This gives people a voice!

3. Constitution 4. VA Statute for Religious Freedom• a set of basic principles

and laws that state the powers and duties of governments.• New state constitutions = limited governments.• Why limited?

• No person could be forced to attend a particular church or be required to pay for a church with tax money.• Why is religion such a big issue?

The Articles: What were they?

•Very simply, The Articles of Confederation (AOC) were America’s first set of laws designed to govern our newly formed country.• Favored states over the national government.• Thirteen independent states that acted like their own countries.

The Setup:• A single branch of government (Congress)

• Congress would have limited powers• Could:

• Settle conflicts among states• Issue coins• Borrow money• Make Treaties• Ask states for money and soldiers

• Could not:• Regulate Trade• Impose Taxes• Nominate a president• Have a national court system

Arguments

Problems with the Articles

• Big States and Little States Argued over:1. Votes for each state.

• Little states the same as big?

2. Rights to Western Lands

– All states needed to agree to make the Articles legal.

Land Issues• Ordinance of 1785

– Established a procedure for surveying and selling land.

– Broke land into 6X6 townships. Divided into 36 sections

• Northwest Ordinance– Created a single Northwest

Territory– When a population reached

60,000 that territory could apply for statehood

– Created Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, Ohio, and Indiana

Big Problems

1. Votes for states

2. Western Lands

3. Money 1. How do you pay for the

Revolutionary War?

2. How do you pay debts to other countries?

4. Problems with foreign countries

5. Trade with foreign countries – can’t do it.

George “The Money Man” Washington

Why Did the First Central Government Fail?

• Weaknesses of the Confederation– Failure to Unify

• No control over trade• Hard to pass/enforce

laws• No national courts

– Economic Troubles• Many kinds of money• Paper $ loses value• No power to tax• Could not pay debts

– Problems with Foreign Countries

• British refuse to leave forts• No U.S. Army or Navy• Interference with American

shipping– One branch of gov’t

• No system of checks and balances.

• Most power held by the states.