Articles of Confederation

document that sets the laws, principles, organization and processes of the government

1) it would spell out the rights of all citizens
2) it would limit the power of the government

to protect a list of freedoms that the government guarantees the people (trial by jury, freedom of religion, freedom of the press)

1) name of America’s First Constitution in 1777
2) created a loose alliance of 13 independent states

only had one branch of government – CONGRESS

1) Number of Votes each state had in Congress – 1
2) Number of States needed to pass a law – 9
3) Four (4) Main Powers of Congress
a) declare war, b) appoint military officers, c) coin money, d) responsible for foreign affairs
4) created a loose alliance of 13 independent states

1) could not regulate trade between states & foreign countries
2) did not have the power to tax

a period when business activity slows, prices and wages drop, and unemployment rises

carries out the laws

passes the laws

system of courts that decides if laws are carried out fairly

settlement in which each side gives up some of its demands in order to reach agreement

a principle of the US government that establishes the division of power between the federal government and the states

three branches of government created so no person or group had too much power (legislative, executive and judicial)

a principle of the US constitution that gives each branch of government the power to check other branches

group of electors from every state who meet every four years to vote for the President and Vice President of the US

proposed law

to reject (when President rejects a law passed by Congress)

gave more people right to vote than in colonial times

To vote, a citizen had
1) to be white, male and over 21
2) own certain amount of property or pay certain amount of taxes
(some women in New Jersey could vote and some African American men who owned property in a few states could vote)

1) Congress had limited powers, could pass laws but 9 states had to approve before they went into effect
2) no power to tax or regular trade between states & foreign countries
3) to raise money, Congress had to ask for it
4) no president to execute laws and states had to enforce laws (no system of Courts)

Dispute over land west of Appalachian Mountains
1) Maryland didn’t want to give up their claim to land west of Appalachian mountains
2) Virginia was the last hold out but Thomas Jefferson convinced them to give up their claims in the West and the Articles of Confederation were ratified in 1781.

Disputes among states continued because Articles did not give central government power to resolve conflicts

MONEY PROBLEMS
1) After revolution, the US owed millions of $$ and Congress, w/o power to tax, had no way to repay the debts
2) During revolution, Congress printed paper currency (money) but dollar had little value- it wasn’t backed by gold or silver
3) continental dollars were nearly worthless-states starting printing their own money and trade become difficult
4) foreign countries took advantage (Britain ignored Treaty of Paris and didn’t withdraw troops from Ohio Valley)

1) law called for the Northwest Territory to be surveyed and divided into townships
2) each township would be further dividend in 36 sections or 1 square mile each
3) Congress would sell sections for $640 dollars a piece.
4) 1 section in each township was set aside for public schools

1) Set up government for Northwest Territory
2) Guaranteed basic rights to settlers
3) outlawed slavery there
4) provided for region to be divided into separate territories
5) provided a way to admit new states to the nation

1) Needed a population of 60,000 free settlors and could ask Congress to admit as a new state
2) New states would be equal to original states
3) Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan and Wisconsin were created from Northwest Territory

1) depression hit farmers hard
2) war created high demand for farm products
3) farmers borrowed money for land, seed, animals & tools
4) after revolution, demand went down and farmers couldn’t repay loans

1) Daniel Shays, a Massachusetts farmer (fought at Bunker Hill and Saratoga) organized an uprising in 1786
2) More than 1,000 farmers took part in Shay’s rebellion – they attacked courthouses and prevented states from seizing farms
3) Massachusetts legislature sent militia to drive them away

1) called to revise the Articles of Confederation
2) Articles of Confederation weren’t working

1) it was a sign that Articles of Confederation weren’t working
2) The people feared more rebellions

A main government that would unify the states; conduct the war, control trade, manage conflicts between the states, and help national relations.

Under Articles of Confederation stated that each state had one vote in the Congress, they had limited powers but could coin money, appoint military officers and declare war but had no power to tax or regulate trade

1) waged war for independence against Britain
2) peace treaty of Paris to end Revolution
3) Northwest Ordinance-when you live in territory you can create your own land

to bring changes of serious wrongdoing against public official

change

(law) the administration of justice according to established rules and principles. Based on the principle that a person cannot be deprived of life or liberty or property without appropriate legal procedures and safeguards

James Madison’s plan at Constitutional Convention that called for three branches of government w/ two chambers of legislature (favored large states)

Paterson’s plan at Constitutional Convention that called for three branches of government (favored small states)

Roger Sherman’s plan at Constitutional Convention that said
1) one house of the legislature should reflect the state’s population-House of Representatives
2) one house should have an equal number of representatives from each state-Senate
Also called the Great Compromise–This solution ended the stalemate and paved the way for the completion of the Constitution.

introduction to a declaration, constitution or other official document “We the People …”

to ask that a decision be reviewed by a higher court

Articles of Confederation served as the first constitution of the United States. This document officially established the government of the union of the thirteen states.

The colonies knew they needed some form of official government that united the thirteen colonies. They wanted to have written down rules that all the states agreed to. The Articles allowed the Congress to do things like raise an army, be able to create laws, and print money

Article 2: The state governments still had their own powers that were not listed in the Articles.

Article 3: Refers to the union as a “league of friendship” where the states will help to protect each other from attacks.

No power to raise money through taxes (federal/national government was too weak)

No way to enforce the laws passed by Congress (federal/national government was too weak)

the federal (national) government was too weak;
the state governments had more power

Each state only had one vote in Congress despite the size of the state

replaced with the current United States Constitution

Did not want to be like Britain; wanted to try something different, giving more power to individual states