Articles of Confederation

1. ARTICLES OF
CONFEDERATION
First Constitution of the US 1776-1787

2. Central Gov’t Under the Articles
 Single- chamber (unicameral) congress
 No executive branch or president
 Congress made up of one delegate from each
state w/ one vote each
 Congress’ powers limited to:
1. Foreign affairs
2. Defense
Articles of Confederation

3. Weak Central Gov’t
 No power to levy taxes
 No power to regulate trade between states
 No power to enforce laws
 Difficult to pass laws: needed 9/13 to pass a
law
 Needed consent from all 13 states to amend
the Articles
 No Executive Branch
 No Federal court system (Supreme Court)

4. Need for Stronger Gov’t
1. States began to argue over boundary lines and
tariffs. *(taxes)
2. Central gov’t had no money to maintain an army
and was $40 million in debt.
3. 1786 economic depression left many farmers in
debt. Gov’t could not pay soldiers

5. Shays’s Rebellion
 Farmers in debt were often
jailed or their properties were
seized by state authorities.
 Armed farmers closed courts to
prevent farm foreclosures
 Daniel Shays and a force of 1200
men closed the Massachusetts
Supreme Court
 Massachusetts militia put down
the rebellion

6. Annapolis Convention
 Alexander Hamilton (NY) and James Madison (VA),
both in favor of a stronger central gov’t, called for a
convention in Philadelphia
 Philadelphia Convention (May, 1787) to revise the
Articles of Confederation

7. Achievements
 Northwest Ordinance- Developed a fair policy for
the development of lands west of the
Appalachians
 Peace Treaty with Great Britain- Britain recognized
American independence, and America gained land