1) The Articles of Confederation created a very loose alliance between the 13 independent states, each with one equal vote in Congress. 2) The central government under the Articles was very weak, unable to resolve disputes between states or compel them to provide money or troops. 3) Events like Shays' Rebellion in Massachusetts showed the weaknesses of the Articles, prompting leaders to call a convention to revise the national government framework.

1. CHAPTER 7
CREATING A REPUBLIC
SECTION 1 “A LOOSE CONFEDERATION”
(PAGES 200-204)

2. STUDENT COUNCIL
• What is the purpose of our student council?
• What would happen if our school did not have a
student council?
• How would this compare to the situation our new
nation faced in 1775?

3. CONSTITUTION
A DOCUMENT THAT SETS OUT THE LAWS, PRINCIPLES, ORGANIZATION, AND
PROCESS OF A GOVERNMENT.

4. TWO REASONS FOR STATE
CONSTITUTIONS
1. A written constitution would spell
out the rights of all citizens.
2. It would limit the power of
government.

5. STRUCTURE OF STATE
GOVERNMENTS
An executive: a governor to execute (carry
out) the laws
*Every state except Pennsylvania had a governor
1.
2. A legislature: elected by the voters to pass
laws.
*Voters had to be white, male, over age 21, and had to
own a certain amount of property or pay a certain
amount of taxes. (In New Jersey some women voted for
a short time, and in several states free African
American men who were owners of property could
vote.)

6. ARTICLES OF CONFEDERATION
(RATIFICATION)
• Created a very loose alliance of 13 independent
states
• Each state had one vote in Congress
• Before the Articles could be put into effect, all states
had to give up their claims to western lands
(This satisfied Maryland and it was the last state to
ratify the Articles)

7. WEAKNESSES OF THE
CONFEDERATION
• The articles did not give the central government
power to resolve problems between states
• Congress had to ask states for money to repay
debts from the war, but states often refused
• Currency printed by the Continental Congress was
not backed by silver or gold and was worthless

8. WEAKNESSES CONTINUED
• States began printing their own currency and most
states refused the money of others making trade
difficult
• Britain refused to withdraw its troops from the Ohio
Valley
• Spain closed the port of New Orleans to American
shipping

9. LAND ORDINANCE OF 1785
• Called for the Northwest Territory to be divided into
townships
• Each township would be divided into 36 sections of
1 square mile each
• Each section was to be sold for $640.00
• One section was reserved for public schools

10. NORTHWEST ORDINANCE
• Provided a way to admit new states to the nation
• Once a territory had a population of 60,000 free
settlers, it could ask Congress to be admitted as a
new state
(Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin were
created from the Northwest Territory)

11. SHAYS’ REBELLION
• A depression and lower demand for food after the
war caused many farmers to be unable to pay off
their loans
• Daniel Shays, a Massachusetts farmer, organized a
revolt to protest courts taking farms in return for
unpaid loans
• Farmers attacked a courthouse and the
Massachusetts militia was sent to drive them off

12. RESULTS OF SHAYS’ REBELLION
• Many saw it as a sign the Articles of Confederation
did not work
• Leaders from several states met in Philadelphia to
revise the Articles
• This convention would create a new government
framework