A More Perfect Union I

A More Perfect Union

Lesson One: The Articles of Confederation

In this lesson, you will...

learn what kind of government was created by the Articles of Confederation, what process allowed new states to join the union, and In what ways the Confederation government was weak.

McGraw Hill, United States History to 1877

For this lesson, you will be reading:
Chapter 8: A More Perfect Union
Lesson 1: The Articles of Confederation

Remember to also use your AVID notes for this lesson.

In May 1776, the Continental Congress asked each state to set up a government. Each state adopted a constitution.

A constitution is a plan of government.

They split the power between the governor and legislature.

The governor had less power than the legislature.

Most states set up two-house, or bicameral, legislatures. This divided the power even more.

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Americans had to set up a national government, too.

They wanted a constitutional republic.

In a constitutional republic, citizens elect people to represent them and make decisions based on what they want. Representatives govern according to a written constitution.

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In 1776 the Second Continental Congress had a group of people make a plan for a central government.

This group created the Articles of Confederation.

The Articles called for a weak central government.

They also let states keep most of their powers.

Congress accepted the Articles of Confederation in November, 1777.

Open Ended

Reviewing your McGraw Hill and AVID notes, answer the following question.

What were three weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation?

All states had to approve the Articles of Confederation.

Each state had one vote.

Disputes about control of land west of the Appalachian Mountains delayed approval. Seven states claimed western lands.

Maryland would not approve the Articles until other states gave up claims to this land.

On March 1, 1781, the Articles of Confederation became the government of the United States of America.

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The new national government was weak.

Congress could not pass a law unless 9 states voted for it.

Congress also did not have the power to change the Articles of Confederation.

Any plan to change the Articles needed to be approved by all 13 states.

This weakness made it difficult for the government to handle the nation's problems

Open Ended

Why do you think most Americans in 1776 wanted a weak central government?

Despite his, America's government did some important things.

America made a peace treaty with Britain, it expanded foreign trade, and it set up plans for people to settle lands to the west.

In 1785, the Confederation Congress passed an ordinance, or law, about western lands.

This law set up a way to divide and then sell the western lands.

Land was divided into townships.

Land in the township was divided into smaller sections.

These sections were sold to settlers.

In 1787, the Northwest Ordinance created the Northwest Territory.

This territory included lands north of the Ohio River and east of the Mississippi River.

Under the oridance, new states would have the same rights as the original 13 states.

Settlers had a bill of rights. They had freedom of religion and trial by jury. The bill of rights said there could be no slavery in the Northwest Territory.

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Open Ended

According to the Northwest Ordinance, when could a territory apply for statehood?

The Land Act of 1800 was passed to make it easier for people to buy land in the Northwest Territory.

It allowed people to pay for the land over a period of four years.

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By 1781, American dollars, called Continentals, had depreciated, or lost value.

The War for Independence left the Continental Congress with a large debt.

Congress did not have the power to raise taxes to pay these debts.

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Open Ended

Why did the national government under the Articles of Confederation have difficulty raising money?

In 1781, Congress created a department of finance, led by Robert Morris.

Morris made a plan to charge a 5 percent tax on goods brought in from other countries to help pay the debts.

All 13 states had to approve Morris' plan for it to pass, but Rhode Island voted no.

The plan did not pass.

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Open Ended

Why did Robert Morris's plan to pay the country's war debts fail?

Multiple Choice

The purpose of setting up two-house state legislatures was _____.

• to be able to have frequent elections

• to give more power to the state governor

• to be able to elect more people

• to divide power within the legislature

Multiple Choice

In a _____, people rule through representatives they elect.

• bicameral

• confederation

• committee

• republic

Multiple Choice

Under the Articles of Confederation, Congress had the power to _____.

• regulate trade

• issue currency

• pay for an army

• impose taxes

Multiple Choice

The Confederation government was not able to _____.

• expand foreign and state trade

• help with settling western lands

• pass a law unless nine states voted for it

• change the Articles unless nine states voted for it.

Multiple Choice

Under the Articles of Confederation, each state _____.

• had only one vote in the new Congress.

• to approve the Articles and any amendments

• kept most of its power

• all of the above

Multiple Choice

The Ordinance of 1785 _____.

• attempted to stop the spread of slavery in the United States

• set up a process to survey and sell land north of the Ohio River

• created the Northwest Territory

• guaranteed freedom of religion

Multiple Choice

The Continental dollar fell in value because _____.

• the value of the English currency rose

• too much money was circulated

• they could not be exchanged for gold or silver

• the price of food and other goods increased

Multiple Choice

The Northwest Ordinance included _____.

• a clause that banned slavery in the territory

• nothing about how people could petition for statehood

• a law that required people to purchase at least 320 acres of land

• the creation of the Mississippi Territory out of the Northwest Territory

Multiple Choice

_____ proposed a tax on imports to help pay the national debt.

• John Adams

• George Washington

• Robert Morris

• Thomas Jefferson

Multiple Choice

What difficulty did the Confederation have with the government of Spain?

• Spain refused to withdraw from lands east of the Mississippi.

• Spain closed the lower Mississippi to American shipping.

• Spain refused to talk over difficult issues with John Adams.

• Spain kept Americans out of trade markets in the West Indies