Unit 3 ReTeach

​Articles of Confederation & The Constitution

​DURING THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION...

• The colonies needed a government to both:

  • Unite the colonies

  • Organize their war plan.

• Made weak on purpose so that each state would still have power.

​Weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation

• gave most power to states

  • not listening to federal laws, only their own

• no power to tax

  • federal government had to ASK for donations

• no national army

• no executive leader (president)

  • Scared of creating another king.

• no national court system

  • no national judges

Most states were acting independent and not UNITED.

Multiple Choice

What were the Articles of Confederation?

• A strong national government

• The first government of the U.S.

• A court system

• A law about taxes

​Shay's Rebellion

• Massachusetts was helping the federal government...

  • ...but with super high taxes...

• People weren't too happy about that!

  • Poor farmers (that were veterans of the American Revolution) were losing their homes due to not paying their taxes.

• Daniel Shay and these veterans burnt down court houses, beat up tax collectors, and armed themselves to fight.

• No national army = No one to stop rebellion

• This event showed America just how weak the A.O.C was.

​The Constitutional Convention

• national leaders wanted a stronger government

  • created a new plan → The Constitution!

• Our founding fathers borrowed ideas from European history to perfect the American gov.

  • natural rights

  • equality

  • governments exit to protect its citizens

• People disagreed on how votes should be counted in order for EVERY man to be equal.

  • 3/5 Compromise

  • Virginia/New Jersey Plan

  • The Great Compromise

Multiple Choice

Why did leaders want to change the government?

• It was too powerful

• It could not solve problems

• It had too many armies

• It had too many taxes

Principles of our Government

• stronger government

  • national army

  • states working with one another (UNITED)

• checks and balances

  • Executive - President

  • Judicial - national judges

• power divided

  • no government involvement in businesses

  • people choose their leaders

Open Ended

How did the Constitution fix the problems of the Articles of Confederation? (Give me 3 examples for full credit)