Why did the Articles of Confederation fail?

The Albany Plan (1754) At the Albany Congress, Benjamin Franklin proposed an early idea for unity – June / July 1754 • Known as “the Albany Plan” – “Grand Council” (Representative) – “General President” (Executive) • The plan was rejected by the individual colonies for fear it would destroy their sovereignty

What problems did the American government face during the Revolution?

Challenges of the Revolution No national army / navy Little money Poor economy Invasion • Most of all, Congress lacked a national government to conduct and run the war effort effectively

Articles of Confederation • The Articles of Confederation were America’s first real national government – Signed in York, PA in 1777 • Established a “firm league of friendship” between the colonies – Kept individual sovereignty among states – Came together for “mutual welfare and protection”

What were some of the benefits of the Articles of Confederation?

Benefits Appealed to the states (former colonies) who wanted limited government! State Sovereignty (states kept their power) The individual states were used to handling their own affairs Articles of Confederation supported the rights of the states

Why did George Washington refer to the Articles of Confederation as a “shadow without substance?”

No Executive Branch The nation did not have a President of Chief Executive Acts of Congress were not enforceable State leaders did what was good for the states and not for the country

No Judicial Branch The nation lacked a national court system (no Supreme Court!) Capital cases were handled by committees in Congress No universal interpretation of laws and punishments

Limitations of Congress Congress was unicameral Laws were difficult to pass, needed approval of nine states Congress was responsible to the states, not the people Congress had no power to collect taxes, regulate trade, coin money, or establish a military

Currency Issues The United States did not have a common currency Americans carried money from the federal government, state government, and foreign nations That meant that if you were a merchant/trader you would need federal, local, and out-of-state currency to operate your business!!

Debts Congress could not tax the people and depended on money from the states. The U.S. was unable to pay its debts Examples: - The U.S. owed money to France, Holland, and Spain for loans made during the Revolutionary War. - The U.S. had not paid many of their own soldiers

Domestic Problems The U.S. lacked the military power to defend itself against foreign or domestic enemies. States acted as individual countries and seldom agreed Examples: - Connecticut and Virginia almost went to war over land claims - Pennsylvania went to war with several other states including Maryland and Connecticut over land claims

International Problems: Spain Spain wanted to stop America from taking lands in Florida/ Gulf Coast Closed the lower Mississippi River to American shipping in 1784 Created a major economic disadvantage for the western farmers who depended on the river for transportation of goods!

International Problems: Britain Treaty of Paris of 1783 that ended the Revolutionary War, Britain was to withdraw from the western territory (past the Appalachian Mountains) Yet the British troops continued to occupy several strategic forts in the Great Lakes region Also the British kept American merchants out of the West Indies/other markets to limit trade

Solution: The Constitution!