The document discusses the Articles of Confederation and the weaknesses that led to its replacement. It describes how the Articles gave most power to state governments and Congress lacked authority. This caused economic problems as states issued their own currencies and set independent trade policies. It also discusses Shays' Rebellion where farmers protested taxes, showing support for reform. The weaknesses of the Articles created calls for a stronger federal government with the power to levy taxes, regulate commerce, and more.

1. BELL RINGER
• APPARTS
• Document A-Washington to Knox
• Document B-Jefferson to Smith
• Comparison
• Similarities? Differences?

2. T U R N I N G P O I N T- S H AY ’ S R E B E L L I O N
THE ARTICLES OF
CONFEDERATION

3. COLONIES BECOME STATES
• 1700s-Each of the British colonies had its own governor,
council and colonial assembly
• This system of self-governing colonies caused people to
identify their allegiance with the colony
• As colonies became states after the Revolution (after
1783), they were reluctant to unite under a strong central
government
• Challenge was to find balance between interests of the
states with those interests of the nation

4. UNITY THROUGH A REPUBLIC
• 18th century Americans believed that a democracy
placed too much power in the hands of the masses
• So they favored a republic-a government in which
citizens rule through their elected representatives
• Republicanism meant different things to different
people:
• Some thought that in a republic people had to place the good of
the nation above personal interests
• Others believed that a republic could benefit from self-interests
(should allow independent citizens and states to pursue their own
interests)

5. STATE CONSTITUTIONS
• Many state constitutions shared certain characteristics:
limited the power of government; gave rights to citizens
such as freedom of speech, religion, press
• State constitutions emphasized liberty over equality
• Feared centralized authority
• State constitutions differed on who could vote; African
Americans generally could not vote nor could women;
other states made property ownership a requirement for
voting

6. ARTICLES OF CONFEDERATION
• When the 2nd Continental Congress met in Philadelphia
in 1776 they tried to draft a new government for the
states as a whole
• Used democracy of Ancient Greece and the Roman
republic as guidelines
• Much disagreement on the role of the national
government. Would not be ratified by all of the states
until 1781
• Delegates at the Congress had to consider three
questions when setting up the new government:
• Should representation be based on population or by state?
• Can Supreme Power be divided?
• Who gets the Western lands of the United States?

7. ARTICLES OF CONFEDERATION
Should representation be based on
population or by state?
• States were equal as
political entities but they
were unequal in size,
wealth and population
• Decision made that each
state would have one
vote regardless of
population

8. ARTICLES OF CONFEDERATION
Can Supreme Power be divided?
• Congress proposed a new type
of government-a
confederation-one in which two
levels of government shared
powers
• State governments would be
supreme in some matters;
while the new national
government would be supreme
in others
• New national
government=power to declare
war; borrow money; deal with
Native Americans

9. ARTICLES OF CONFEDERATION
Who gets the western
lands?
• Maryland, which had no
western land claims refused
to approve the articles until
all states turned over land
to the federal government
• States agreed to give up
land claims and the Articles
of Confederation went into
effect in March 1781

10. ARTICLES OF CONFEDERATION
Who gets the western
lands?
• Land Ordinance of 1785 -
established a plan for surveying
the Northwest territory and
dividing it into townships
• Each township would be 6 miles
square, each composed of 36
sections of 650 acres.
• Surveyed land would be sold at
auction starting at $1 an acre
• Up to 6 million acres of land
were bought up by land
speculators

11. ARTICLES OF CONFEDERATION
Who gets the western
lands?
• Northwest Ordinance of 1787 -Congress provided a
procedure for establishing government, dividing land into
territories and establishing states:
• 1. Congress would appoint a territorial governor
• 2. 5000 settlers=could write a temporary constitution and elect a
government (included an assembly to pass laws and a governor
that had absolute veto
• 3. 60,000 settlers=could write a state constitution which could be
approved by Congress and could then apply for statehood
• Protected civil liberties, made provision for public
education, and prohibited slavery

12. WEAKNESSES OF THE ARTICLES OF
CONFEDERATION
• Congress could not enact or collect taxes
• Revolutionary War had cost nation $190 million
• struggle between creditors and debtors
• led to foreign relations problems with Great Britain
• Congress could not regulate trade (foreign or domestic)
• Each state had only one vote in Congress (regardless of
population)
• 2/3 majority of states had to agree to pass laws
• Articles could be amended only if unanimously approved
• No executive branch to carry out or enforce the laws
• No national court system to interpret laws or settle legal
disputes
• 13 separate states that lacked unity

13. I. ARTICLES OF CONFEDERATION
Consequences of weaknesses
• Congress accumulated a debt
• States adopted own economic policies because
Congress under the Articles was unable to act;
several states imposed tariff duties on goods
imported
• Indebted farmers could not meet tax or mortgage
payments and pressed state governments for relief
• In order to increase the money in circulation and help
farmers pay off their debt, states printed large sums
of money

14. SHAY’S REBELLION
• Late 1787 and early 1787, crowds of 1200 debt ridden farmers
closed the courts in western Massachusetts to prevent seizure of
their land for failure to pay taxes
• Daniel Shays had been a veteran of the Revolutionary War at the
battles at Bunker Hill and Saratoga
• Returned to his farm in western Massachusetts after the war and
faced debtors prison
• He felt he was the victim of too much taxation
• Participants of Shay’s rebellion, referred to themselves as regulators
and felt they were acting in the spirit of the Revolution.
• Employed similar tactics to protestors of the Stamp Act of the 1760s;
used liberty trees and liberty poles as symbols of their cause

15. SHAY’S REBELLION
• To put down the rebellion, the Massachusetts legislature passed the
Riot Act, and wealthy bondholders equipped a militia force
• Shay’s army dispersed during the winter of 1787; four rebels killed
and rest were scattered.
• Although the rebellion failed, it showed that many Patriots felt that
American oppressors had replaced British tyrants
• Massachusetts voters turned Governor Bowdoin out of office
• Debt ridden farmers in New York, northern Pennsylvania,
Connecticut and New Hampshire closed courthouses and forced
their governments to provide economic relief
• British officials in Canada predicted the demise of the U.S.

16. CLOSE READING OF SHAY’S REBELLION
• Directions:
1. As you read the two excerpts from Washington and
Jefferson on Shay’s Rebellion, circle any words that
you don’t understand. Define those words in the
margin using a class dictionary/or your phone.
2. Underline the part of the excerpt that you feel is the
main idea.
3. Answer the guided reading questions for each excerpt.
4. Be prepared to share your work.

17. GEORGE WASHINGTON TO HENRY KNOX,
MOUNT VERNON, 1787 FEBRUARY 25
• …On the prospect of the happy termination of this insurrection I sincerely
congratulate you; hoping that good may result from the cloud of evils which
threatened, not only the hemisphere of Massachusetts but by spreading its
baneful influence, the tranquility of the Union. – Surely Shays must be either
a weak man – the dupe of some characters who are yet behind the curtain –
or has been deceived by his followers. – Or which may yet be more likely,
he did not conceive that there was energy enough in the Government to
bring matters to the crisis to which they have been pushed. It is to be hoped
the General Court of that State concurred in the report of the Committee
that a Rebellion did actually exist. – This would be decisive, and the most
likely means of putting the finishing stroke to the business…Our Affairs,
generally, seem really, to be approaching to some awful crisis. God only
knows what the result will be. It shall be my part to hope for the best; as to
see this Country happy whilst I am gliding down the stream of life in tranquil
retirement is so much the wish of my Soul…

18. Articles of Confederation Constitution
Levying taxes Congress could request states to pay taxes Congress has right to levy taxes on individuals
Federal court system No system of federal courts
Court system created to deal with issues between
citizens, states
Regulation of trade No provision to regulate interstate trade
Congress has right to regulate trade between
states
Executive Branch
No executive with power. President of U.S. merely
presided over Congress
Executive branch headed by President who
chooses Cabinet and has checks on power of
judiciary and legislature
Amending document 13/13 needed to amend Articles
2/3 of both houses of Congress plus 3/4 of state
legislatures or national convention
Representation of
states
Each state received 1 vote regardless of size
Upper house (Senate) with 2 votes; lower house
(House of Representatives) based on population
Raising an army Congress could not draft troops, dependent on
states to contribute forces
Congress can raise an army to deal with military
situations
Interstate commerce No control of trade between states Interstate commerce controlled by Congress
Disputes between
states
Complicated system of arbitration Federal court system to handle disputes
Sovereignty Sovereignty resides in states National Constitution the supreme law of the land
Passing laws 9/13 needed to approve legislation 50%+1 of both houses plus signature of President

19. CASE STUDY ON THE ARTICLES OF
CONFEDERATION
• Directions:
1. 15 minutes--Silently read and answer the questions for
each of the six case studies involving the national
government under the Articles (you may use the chart
comparing the Articles and the U.S. Constitution)
2. 10 minutes—Partner with someone in class to discuss
the answers to the questions.
3. 5 minutes—Prepare to share out to the rest of the class
how you answered the questions.