Articles of Confederation

Articles of Confederation Created by the Second Continental Congress First attempt at a constitution for the United States of America A constitution is a set of basic principles and laws that states the powers and duties of the government

Ideas behind the Articles Limited government: to keep individuals from gaining to much power, laws apply to EVERYONE (Magna Carta) Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom: no person could be forced to attend church, no tax dollars could be used for churches (separation of church and state)

Details: Articles of Confederation Passed on 11/15/1777 (this means it was passed during the War for independence!!) ONE branch of government: Legislative Congress could: issue coins, borrow money, make treaties, ask the states for money and soldiers

Weaknesses of the Articles Set-up a confederacy (weak national government) No President! No National Court System! Each state had one vote (HUGE Virginia had same # of votes as TINY Rhode Island States could refuse to send money and soldiers to help during wars

1: decide what to do with all the land won in the War for Independence Northwest Territory Congress had two problems they needed to solve: 1: decide what to do with all the land won in the War for Independence 2:Pay off war debt

Northwest Territory Solution: Land Ordinance of 1785 Congress sold the land to pay off war debt and organized the land into towns

Northwest Territory

Northwest Territory To form a political system for this new region they passed the Northwest Ordinance of 1787 The ordinance, or law created a system for bringing new states into the Union If a territory had a population of 60,000, they could draft a state constitution & ask to join the Union