Articles of Confederation

​Articles of Confederation

1777: Congress wrote the first constitution called the Articles of Confederation
It created a one-house legislature (unicameral). Each state had 1 vote.

Two major laws passed

Ordinance of 1785: set up a plan for Americans to move west
Northwest Ordinance: set up a government for the new area

Multiple Choice

What was the first U.S. Constitution called?

• Declaration of Independence
• Bill of Rights
• Articles of Confederation
• Emancipation Proclamation

Multiple Choice

What was the Northwest Ordinance?

• A document that established the Northwest Territory as a separate country from the United States.
• A law passed by the United States Congress in 1787 that established a process for admitting new states to the Union and outlined a system for governing the Northwest Territory.
• A treaty signed between the United States and Native American tribes in the Northwest Territory.
• A law passed by the United States Congress in 1791 that abolished slavery in the Northwest Territory.

​Power of Congress was Limited

Why? Because the colonists disliked the strong British rule
They did not want another king telling them what to do

Multiple Choice

Why did the Founding Fathers choose a Confederation plan of government?

• To give more power to the states and limit the power of the central government.
• To promote individual rights and freedoms.
• To create a strong central government.
• To establish a monarchy in the United States.

Multiple Choice

Why was it a problem that there was no national court system under the Articles of Confederation?

• There was no way to change the Constitution

• It was difficult to pass laws

• The central government had no way to collect taxes

• The central government had no way to settle disputes between states.

Multiple Choice

Why was it a problem that Congress had no power to regulate foreign trade under the Articles of Confederation?

• Difficulty enacting laws

• The government was always short of money

• Trading with foreign countries was difficult and disputes between states.

• There was no effective way to change the powers of government

Shay's Rebellion

1786: 2,000 Massachusetts farmers marched on county courthouses because they couldn't pay their debts
Congress could not respond because it was too weak and did not have its own army
It showed that the U.S. needed a new government

Multiple Choice

Why did the Founding Fathers believe the Articles of Confederation needed to be replaced?

• Inefficient trade policies
• Excessive taxation
• Lack of individual rights
• Weak central government