The Critical Period

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The Critical Period Chapter 23
Articles of Confederation
Colonial America Confederates
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Second Continental Congress appointed a committee
to develop a plan of government for the United
Colonies
John Dickinson was appointed to lead the group
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Unitary system

• a nations central government does not share
  power with local or regional governments
• states, counties, cities, and towns
• are divisions of the central government
• administer laws made by the central government

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Most Americans oppose the English system
of government

• believed the best safeguard for individual
  freedom was to divide power among state
  governments

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Articles of Confederation
Articles of Confederation
a moderate plan of government proposed by
Dickinsons committee
Was not ratified by the states until 1781!
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What is a confederation?

• a loose association of independent states bound
  together for a particular purpose

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Congressional Powers under theArticles of
Confederation

• to make peace and war
• to make treaties and alliances
• to coin money
• to regulate trade with Indians
• to borrow money
• to establish a postal system

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Articles of Confederation were a success
and
Articles of Confederation were a failure
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Why?
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Positive results of the Articles of Confederation

• waged a successful war and negotiated a favorable
  peace
• developed long-term plans for settling the lands
  of the Northwest Territory

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Negative results of the Articles of Confederation

• Congress lacked the power to tax or regulate
  trade
• states coined own money
• no executive branch to enforce laws

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How many states were needed to approve a law
before it was passed?
Nine out of thirteen.
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Why did the Articles of Confederation not provide
for an executive branch?
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Because of the fear of centralized power!
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What kind of problems did this cause?

• made it difficult to reach an agreement on
  necessary laws
• there was no assurance that a law would be
  carried out
• compliance varied from state to state depending
  on how strongly it felt for/against the law

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Shays rebellion

• 2,000 debt-ridden farmers rebelled against the
  state government of Massachusetts

Were angered by a legislature which raised taxes,
courts which foreclosed on their mortgages, and
an insensitive governor