Title: Aim: To Argue whether or not the Articles of Confederation were a Success or Failure?
1Aim To Argue whether or not the Articles of
Confederation were a Success or Failure?
- Do Now Complete the document on the next slide
in complete sentences in your notebook.
2Do Now
- The Continental Congress adopted the Articles
of Confederation, the first constitution of the
United States, on November 15, 1777. However,
ratification of the Articles of Confederation by
all thirteen states did not occur until March 1,
1781. The Articles created a loose confederation
of sovereign states and a weak central
government, leaving most of the power with the
state governments. The need for a stronger
Federal government soon became apparent and
eventually led to the Constitutional Convention
in 1787. The present United States Constitution
replaced the Articles of Confederation on March
4, 1789. - loc.gov
- Questions
- Four Significant facts about the Articles of
Confederation are
3Creating the Constitution
4The Articles of Confederation
- During the Revolution, the new United States
needed a functioning government - Modeled after colonial governments
- States would retain sovereignty (freedom)
- Founders were fearful of concentrated power due
to past experience with the British
5A Limited Government
- Articles established a firm league of
friendship among the states - Bills were passed on nine of thirteen votes
- Amending the Articles took unanimous consent of
the states
6Structure 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
7Powers Granted to Government under the Articles
of Confederation
- Declare war and make peace
- Make treaties with foreign countries
- Establish an army and navy
- Appoint high-ranking military officials
- Requisition, print, and borrow money
- Establish weights and measures
- Hear disputes among the states related to trade
or boundaries
8Powers Denied to Government
- 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
9Accomplishments of the Articles of Confederation
- Administered the seven-year war effort
- Negotiated the Treaty of Paris with Britain in
1783 - Established the Northwest Ordinance of 1787
- Made plans for governing the unsettled Western
Territories.
Map of the land settled in the Northwest
Ordinance of 1787
10Problems Facing the New Nation
- Trade with foreign nations
- Financing the nation
- Foreign relations
- Interstate relations
A 1783 cartoon satirizing relations between
Britain and America
11Problems Facing the New Nation You Decide
- Trade with foreign nations
- Financing the nation
- Foreign relations
- Interstate relations
12Problems with Trade
- 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 in Articles of Confederation preventing
this solution
13Essential Questions / Enduring Understandings
- During what time period did the Articles of
Confederation exist? - What are the main defining characteristics of the
Articles of Confederation? - What are the Articles of Confederations
strengths and weaknesses? - How would you rate the overall effectiveness of
the Articles of Confederation? - What major characteristics of the Articles of
Confederation resulted in its demise and inspired
the framers to create the Constitution? - Argue whether or not the Articles of
Confederation were a success or failure? What is
your rational or reasoning. Be specific.
14- Critics of the Articles of Confederation argued
that it - (1) imposed unfair taxes on the states
- (2) used a draft to raise a national army
- (3) provided a strong system of federal courts
- (4) placed too much power in the hands of the
states
15- The primary purpose of the Articles of
- Confederation was to
- (1) provide revenues for the national government
- (2) establish the basic framework of the national
government - (3) give the national government the power to
regulate interstate commerce - (4) guarantee a bill of rights to protect
citizens from the national government