Articles of

Confederation
Ms. McCarthy
DBQ’s

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Euro prompt from exam?

LEQ/DBQ
 • “Explain how different forms of government
developed and changed as a result of the
Revolutionary Period.”

Objective • Do Now: Please see the Articles of

and Do Now Confederation source in the folder. Please
read through it. What are some major
ideas/themes that we see in the document?
Is the document repetitive at all? Take a few
minutes to do this in your notes.
 ● After the Revolution, the newly independent
nation had to establish a strong and unified
government.
● At the Continental Congress (1776), almost no
one wanted a powerful national government.
Post- ● At the time, citizens generally thought of
themselves as members of the individual
American states, not a nation.
● Believed country as a whole was less important
Revolution than individual parts.

**Not a united group of states, but an alliance

among separate governments (within each state)
that worked together
Articles of Confederation
● 1776- Articles of Confederation are ratified by the 13
states.
● This was the first official “law of the land” in the United
States.
● “Firm league of friendship”.
● Weak central government because states were given
most power.
● A unicameral legislature
○ Congress carried out both executive and legislative
powers.
○ No President. Why?
○ No judicial branch. Why?
Consider the
Successes &
Failures of this The main thing we need
Government! to know about the A.O.C is
its successes and failures!
 In groups we will give peer feedback
if we have any drafts.
Think about the meaning of each
document and how it could be used.
DBQ Prep
Organization of essay

HIPP analysis selections

A.o.C Please see Schoology for
DBQ sources.
Confederation
Congress
From 1776 to 1787, the United States was
governed by a group of men called the
Confederation Congress.
These men accomplished some important
things:
● Governed the nation during the war.
● Negotiated the Treaty of Paris.
● Passed the Land Ordinance of 1785.
● Passed the Northwest Ordinance of
1787.
 Land Ordinance of 1785
Northwest
Territory ● As a way to raise funds for
the national government,
Congress planned to sell
parts of the Northwest
Territory.
● $1 per acre
Northwest Ordinance of
1787
● Laid out procedures for
expansion of the United
States.
● Region can apply for
statehood when
population reaches
60,000 males.
● outlawed slavery in the
Northwest territory
Weaknesses
1. The federal government could not tax
2. States did not have to follow federal
laws
3. States had their own laws and did not
have to follow other state laws.
4. No executive branch or national court
system.
5. Any amendment required all 13 states’
approval.
WHY ARE THESE WEAKNESSES???
DISCUSS!!
 Weaknesses Continued

Powers Given to Federal Government Powers NOT GIVEN to the Federal

in the Articles Government in the Articles
● No power to enforce laws
● Wage war ● No power to levy taxes
● Make peace ● No power to regulate trade
● Sign treaties ● Required all 13 states to approve
● Issue money changes to the Articles
 ● Because the Federal government couldn’t
levy taxes, they had no way of getting
money to pay soldiers that had fought in
the war.
Weaknesses ● Individual states had the power to tax their
citizens. Some states took advantage.
Continued Massachusetts was taxing its people into
poverty.
 https://vimeo.com/79705390
(9:50-19:16)
Farmers struggles
Shays West vs East

Rebellion Cause of Rebellion

Identify points of view held by people from
different economic and social groups at the
time
Shays Rebellion Doc
Analysis
 ● Shays and 1,500 other protestors planned
to attack Springfield Armory.
● National army couldn’t help, so local militia
in Massachusetts had to settle rebellion.
● Many of rebels were captured and
sentenced to death. Daniel Shays pardoned
Impact for his role.

**Shays Rebellion revealed the many

underlying problems with the Articles of
Confederation. Inspired many to call for
changes in the A.O.C
To try to • At first this was just an attempt to REVISE
the Articles, but quickly became an
REVISE the attempt to completely replace the
Articles!
AOC,
delegates
called the • IN VIDEO take note of Virginia Plan, New
Jersey Plan, and Great Compromise! We
Constitutional will discuss the plan and other topics from
the Constitutional Convention on
Convention! Wednesday.