OUR NATION UNDER THE ARTICLES OF CONFEDERATION Unit 3 OUR NATION UNDER THE ARTICLES OF CONFEDERATION

The Creation of the Articles of Confederation Unit 3: Lesson 1 Essential Question: What was the Articles of Confederation? What were its weaknesses?

Our first attempt at government… The US began as a confederation. Confederation A group or league of independent states or nations united for a common purpose

We have declared independence Now that we are independent, what do the colonies (now called states) look like? Each state created its own Constitution The following were included in Constitutions for the states: Natural rights Social Contract Representation Separation of Power Checks and Balances Discuss the points on the slide as to what happened after the colonies declared their independence through the Declaration of Independence. Each state created their own constitution States included the ideas of natural rights, natural law, social contract, popular sovereignty, representation, separation of power, and checks and balances. These are all ideas of John Locke, Montesquieu, and ideas found in the Declaration of Independence.

What else Was in the state constitutions? The right to vote for men who met certain qualifications Race Age Land ownership Free and frequent elections Freedom of speech and press Freedom to petition the government No taxation without representation ALL states’ Bill of Rights included rights for people accused of crimes Right to an attorney Right to a jury trial Protection from unreasonable searches Protection from excessive bail and fines After displaying all of the contents of the state constitutions, discuss the importance of each: Right to vote: gives people a say in the government (limited to white, male, landowners) Free and frequent elections: gives people a say in the government; allows the states to select the leadership in their government as opposed to someone being placed in power or through a bloodline Freedom of speech and press: British government limited what could be said or printed; people wanted these rights as a means of expression Freedom to petition the government: if the people felt the government was wrong, they wanted the right to protest/petition the government to correct the wrongs No taxation with representation: this was a catalyst for the American Revolution; the people wanted representation in government and thus a say in policies that would impact the people Rights for those accused of crimes: states wanted fair trials for all accused of crimes; these rights would protect those charged with crimes until proven innocent or guilty Why were all of these things important to the people?

Fears of the Founders The states had their own Constitutions, which means they had their own rights, government structure, and processes they followed within the state. Why would the Founders want to create a national government at this point in history? A national government was essential to unify the states and conduct the Revolutionary War. Possible question for discussion: What problems could you see with each state having a different constitution and different system of government? Answer: There is little unity within each state when they act independently. A central government would help coordinate efforts between the states in order to fight the British in the Revolutionary War.

What were the founders’ fears in creating a new central government? Think like an early American…what would you be afraid of in a government? Too much power in the central (national) government Creation of a monarchy (KING GEORGE III!!) Lack of social contract Will the government overpower the will of the people? Basically, they feared an England Part 2!! Early Americans feared a strong central government because they felt it could turn into a system like the one they just rebelled against. They were concerned about the central government having too much power and resembling a monarchy, the possible nullification of their state constitutions, and the possibility that the will of the central government would overpower the will of the people.

what would you do as a founder? The Founders recognized that they did need a central government of some kind…. The Founders thought it would be best to create a weak central (national) government They created the nation’s first Constitution, known as the Articles of Confederation. The Founders felt creating a weak central government would protect the rights of the people and unify the states while leaving the power with the states.

How did the Articles of Confederation Set up the Government? States Central Gov. The Articles only created a legislative branch There was no executive branch (no president or cabinet). There was no judicial branch (courts). The Articles gave each state (regardless of size) one vote, giving the states total control of the legislature. "Each state retains its sovereignty, freedom, and independence, and every power, jurisdiction, and right, which is not by this Confederation expressly delegated.“ The legislature is responsible for declaring war, making laws, and serving as the final court in disputes between states. States were responsible for sharing money spent by the United States of America, since the central government had no power to tax the states. These points will be discussed at more length in the following slides. The main ideas are that the “power” of the government only rested in the legislative branch and states had equal representation, regardless of size, in the legislature.