Civics - Ch 2.2 - The First Government

Civics

Chapter 2 Section 2

THE FIRST GOVERNMENT

Vocabulary for this section

Human Rights - The basic rights to which are people are entitled.

Confederation - A loose association of states.

Sovereignty - Absolute power of government.

Articles of Confederation - America's first written plan for government.

What led to the Declaration of Independence?

The Declaration of Independence

• In 1775, angry about British taxes and actions of British Parliament the colonists and Britain went to war

• The next year, Continental Congress, which was a meeting of all 13 states occurred in Philadelphia

• At this meeting, the Declaration of Independence was created

• Thomas Jefferson wrote most of the declaration and Continental Congress approved it on July 4, 1776

The Declaration of Independence

• The Declaration listed all of the reasons why the colonists decided to separate from England (for example - colonists objected to being taxes without their consent)

• The Declaration stated the purpose of government and how it should protect human rights

• In the Declarations most famous passage, it states:

• We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal, they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness".

What is in The Declaration of Independence?

The Articles of Confederation

• The Declaration of Independence was not a plan or blueprint for government, it was just a statement of independence and beliefs

• To govern the newly formed United States, Continental Congress created the Articles of Confederation in 1777 and they were approved by all 13 states in 1781

• After the Revolutionary War (against Britain) ended in 1783 the colonies were now a confederation called the United States of America

The Articles of Confederation

• At this time the states were a confederation, which is a loose association, not a firm union

• Because of this, the Articles set up "a firm league of friendship" between the 13 states

• Under the Articles...

• Each state had equal power and was independent of the others

• The central or national government had very little powers

The Articles of Confederation

• In the national government, there was one branch. It was called Congress. In Congress, each state received one vote.

• The Articles wanted to preserve each states sovereignty

• After the war, the US experienced problems many problems

• The biggest problem faced by the new United States was the debt from the war

• The Articles did not give the national government the power to fix these problems

The Articles of Confederation

Explained by History.com

Weaknesses of the Articles

• Under the Articles...

• Passing laws was difficult because it took 9 out of 13 to vote "yes" and at this time it was hard to get 9 of the states to agree on anything

• There was no President or Executive Branch, so there was no one to ensure laws passed by Congress were carried out

• There was no Judicial Brand or court system, so there was no way to interpret laws and make judgements on those who broke them

• There was no national system of currency (money), so it was impossible to pay off the debt from the war

The Need for Change

• As the Articles government continued, people thought of themselves more as a resident of their state, rather than as Americans

• The problems were overwhelming and it became clear the government was too weak to make things better

• As a result, in 1787, Congress asked each state to send representatives to meet together to revise the Articles of Confederation

Multiple Choice

Where did Continental Congress meet?

• New York City, NY

• Washington DC

• Philadelphia, PA

• Boston, MA

Multiple Choice

What war was going on while this meeting was taking place?

• Civil War

• French and Indian War

• Revolutionary War

• World War 1

Multiple Select

What are the three unalienable rights from the Declaration of Independence?

• Life

• Liberty

• Property

• Pursuit of Happiness

Multiple Choice

In what year were the Articles of Confederation approved?

• 1667

• 1781

• 1802

• 1879

Multiple Choice

Under the articles, which was more powerful...

• State Governments

• The National Government

• They were equal in power

Multiple Choice

How many branches of government existed under the Articles of Confederation?

• 1

• 2

• 3

• None

Multiple Choice

It was hard to pass laws under the articles because it took ___ out of 13 states to vote "yes".

• 7

• 9

• 11

• 13

Multiple Choice

Under the Articles, there was a President.

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

Under the Articles, there was a Supreme Court.

• Ture

• False

Multiple Choice

Because the articles were too weak, Congress asked states to send representatives for a meeting in 1787. What was the purpose of this meeting?

• To make a plan to pay off the war debt

• To discuss going back to war with Britain

• To approve the Declaration of Independence

• To revise (change or edit) the Articles of Confederation