13 States & The Articles of Confederation (Our 1 st Government)
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13 States &
The Articles of
Confederation
(Our 1st
Government)
New State Governments
Each state set out to create their own
government and did not want to give up the
political systems that they had when they
were colonies of Britain.
All of the state governments were different,
but they all had a republican form of
government.
Republic – the people choose
representatives to govern them
2
Along with state governments, they knew then
needed a National Government.
In 1776, the Continental Congress began a
plan for a national government.
There were many opinions about what
powers the National Government have.
Eventually, the Continental Congress
developed the Articles of Confederation.
3
4
Articles of Confederation
1781-1787
• Articles of Confederation were passed by the Continental Congress in November 1777. They were then sent to the states for ratification (approval).
• By 1778, only 8 states had agreed—conflict was over western lands.
5
Once the national government had the land, they had
to figure out what to do with the lands.
Over the next three years, land claims were given over
to the national government so the small states would
ratify---Maryland was last to ratify the Articles in 1781.
WESTERN LAND CLAIMS
Congress passed important laws
on how to divide, sell, and govern
these lands with the Land
Ordinance of 1785 and the
Northwest Ordinance of 1787.
Land Ordinance of 1785
1. Surveyors divided land into six
mile square plots called
townships.
8
The Northwest Territory
Location of Northwest Territory
– North of the Ohio River
– South of the Great Lakes
– East of the Mississippi River
– West of the Existing States
9
Northwest Ordinance
1. Described how the Northwest Territory was to be governed.
2. A non-voting assembly could be elected when the population reached 5,000 free males.
3. The people could apply for statehood when they reached a population of 60,000.
Northwest Ordinance's conditions
for settlement
1. Slavery was outlawed
2. Rivers were open to navigation by all
3. Freedom of Religion was protected
4. Right to trial by jury was guaranteed
The Northwest
Territory
included land
that became the
states of -
Ohio, Indiana,
Michigan,
Illinois, and
Wisconsin.
12
Why was it important?
1. It set a pattern for the orderly
growth of the United States.
2. New states would be equal to the
original 13 states.
14
• 1) power to borrow money & ask states for money
• 2) declare war/make peace; raise army and navy
• 3) establish a postal service for communication between states
• 4) direct foreign affairs
• 5) make treaties
• 6) handle Indian affairs
• 7) settle interstate disputes (issues between the states)
Powers Given to Congress
under the Articles
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Transitional Government-prepares the way for arguing for a stronger government
The Larger states gave up their western land claims so the smaller states would join the union
Land Ordinance
Northwest Ordinance
– Sets up the orderly process of territories becoming states
Strengths of the Articles of
Confederation
16
Weaknesses of the Articles
• NO SEPARATE EXECUTIVE (no way to enforce the laws)
• NO FEDERAL COURT
• POWERS: One State = One vote
• Required all 13 states to approve changes to the Articles
• States gave consent to be governed under
the Articles of Confederation
NOTE: the reason they didn't establish a strong central government was because of their fear and remembrances of Parliament & English
control
States
17
Therefore no revenue (money) to implement anything as a government
Amendment of the Articles needed in order for Congress to tax---BUT
– All amendments must be "unanimous"
No Power to Tax
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Debt was a critical problem:
*borrowed money for war and could not pay it back
*Soldiers wanted to be paid, but Congress relied
on states to send money and they didn’t (several
hundred soldiers surrounded Penn. Court House and
stuck bayonets through the windows,
threatening the legislators-Congress had
to flee showing just how weak they were)
*farmers in Massachusetts were up in arms,
too
*Congress could not raise and army and navy
because had no money to pay them
*Losing respect of foreign nations because
could not pay debts or even the interest
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No Power to regulate trade
*Congress was not permitted to control trade between
states or trade between states and foreign nations
*State governments put heavy taxes on each other’s
goods to keep other state goods from competing with
their own
*No state would accept the money of other states
because it had different values; Congress had issued
Continental Currency but it was worthless because no
gold or silver to back it up
*States would not put those same tariffs on foreign
goods so foreign nations were able to make money in
U.S.
20
Worthless Currency
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Downfall of the Confederation Government
– Problems Leading to the Downfall
1. Forts built by British in Ohio Valley
–British were still in the forts in America (furs)
–confederation had no foreign policy
2. Spain controlling the Mississippi River
–confederation had no foreign powers
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3. Domestic problem - depression of 1784
–Great Britain dumped low priced goods
in America; states placed tariffs on one
another but not on Britain
–unemployment - because American
manufacturing couldn’t compete
Articles of confederation had no power to
regulate foreign trade!
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4. Debtor Problem
–owed money sent to jail if unable to pay
–soldiers - promissory notes
–debt owed to soldiers
–desperate started to use notes at a lesser rate
–"SHAY'S REBELLION" (Daniel) 1786
Shays’s Rebellion
1. Farmers were going to prison because they could not pay their taxes in Massachusetts.
2. Common men had no way to redress their grievances.
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–"SHAY'S REBELLION" (Daniel) 1786
• How many farmers were in the legislature? NONE
• Property owners could vote, but farmers couldn't elect their own since there weren’t any farmers on the ballot.
• This event challenged the validity of whether the state government was truly representative.
No
Farmers
Shays’s Rebellion
1. Daniel Shay’s led 1,500 men to attack a federal arsenal.
2. The 900 state militia defeated Shays’s men.
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Why was this important?
1. American leaders realized that the
nation needed a stronger national
government to solve the nations
problems.
2. This led to the Constitutional
Convention.
(Where they began to write our current
Constitution of the United States.)
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