Articles of Confederation How did the problems with the Articles of Confederation lead us to creating the Constitution?

Articles Background 1st constitution for the colonies Confederation form of government Colonies would remain separate and independent Banded together to form a cohesive defense

Articles- provisions Unicameral legislature- one house Each state sends delegates, but gets only one vote per state States obligated to send funds to pay government officials and the military States obligated to send troops to man and maintain a central defense 9 state votes to pass any law

Articles- provisions The authority of the executive and judicial branches would remain with the individual states Unanimous vote by the states was necessary to amend the Articles States set up trade agreements between the states and with foreign countries

Accomplishments under Articles Set up the Post Office (only government agency that is self-supporting) Created the post roads Created the Northwest Territory Act of 1787 that allowed new states into the union Set up a system of weights and measures

Problems with the Articles States not fairly represented in the Congress No central authority to negotiate with Foreign countries No authority to make states comply with legislation No power to collect taxes or impel troops into service

Problems with the Articles No common currency All states had to agree to amend the constitution 9 of 13 states had to agree to any new legislation No system or authority to borrow money

Results of the Articles States dispute borders States levied heavy taxes on themselves to pay for war- did not send money to national government States created own currencies States levied tariffs on each others goods States refused to acknowledge any national law they did not like

Shay’s Rebellion Shay’s Rebellion- Massachusetts farmers rebel against foreclosures on property. Leaders of states convinced that more rebellion was likely without a stronger central authority Led to the Annapolis Conference.

Annapolis Conference The conference was called to discuss how to fix the government to avoid another revolution States were in debt Taxes too high- Shay’s Rebellion Interstate commerce a mess Foreign trade problems

Now Lets Talk about it all! So What?... Now Lets Talk about it all!

The Weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation and Shays' Rebellion (and why money isn't worth the paper it's printed on)

It's All About Power! Why was the central government so weak? Look at the Americans' experience with the powerful central government of Britain Do the opposite!

But what if the government doesn't have enough power? Federal Rights States' Rights BIG PROBLEMS!

Congress did not have the power to collect taxes from the states. One Major Weakness Congress did not have the power to collect taxes from the states.

Could I please have $1000? NO! NO! NO! NO!

What's a government to do? Hmmmm....why don't I just print some more money?

PRINTING MONEY NEVER SOLVES YOUR PROBLEMS!

Which would you rather have?

Money isn't worth the paper it's printed on! Money is only worth what other people will give you for it!

Paper money represents real things = One piece of gold One piece of paper ($1)

Paper money represents real things = One can of soda One piece of paper ($1)

Therefore... = One can of soda One piece of gold

What if you don't have enough What if you don't have enough? What if someone won't give you what you want for the piece of paper that you have? Can you just print more paper?

NO! It doesn't work that way! Remember...paper money represents real things. You haven't changed the number of real things, just the number of pieces of paper! = =

Now your paper money is worth less! ACK! INFLATION!!! Now your paper money is worth less! = = Soda used to cost $1. Now it costs $2!

PRINTING MONEY NEVER SOLVES A GOVERNMENT'S PROBLEMS! Inflation was so out of control in Germany that in 1923, it cost 4 million of their dollars to buy a loaf of bread!

What we've learned so far... Money is only worth what people will give you for it. Printing more money doesn't solve your economic problems.

Weak Government = Problems! Here's an explanation of how the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation led to Shays' Rebellion, which led to the creation of the Constitution.

Daniel Shays Captain in the Revolutionary War Retired from the army Wanted to be a farmer in Massachusetts

Reasons for Shay’s Rebellion Farmers are required to pay debts in gold, they have no money because they were not paid during the war Wealthy lawmakers invested their money in the war too. And seek to get money from the farmers debts Poor farmers are not represented in the Mass legislature and cannot pass debt relief laws The rebellion will free debtors from prisons and close courts that are hearing cases against farmers

Uh oh...no money! Remember! The Congress didn't have the power to tax states...they could only ask for money! The states said no! So Congress couldn't pay its bills! So they printed more money! So they caused inflation and made money worth less!

How can you be a farmer if you have no money? Get a loan from the bank! Plant your seeds! When your crops are grown, harvest them, sell them, and pay your loan back!

Uh oh...problems! What if the bank wants its money back NOW? But your crops haven't grown yet?

THE REPO MAN COMES! The bank repossesses the farms and kicks the former soldiers out of their homes!

Why didn't they have any money? Inflation! The money they did have was worthless. Taxes! The state of Massachusetts had placed high taxes that hit the farmers very hard.

Who cares about having a farm anyway? Without property, you can't feed your family! Without property, you can't vote! Without property, you can't make money! Without making money, you get thrown into debtor's prison!

Give me my house! Daniel Shays and the farmers pick up their guns and go to the state courthouse to stop them from foreclosing on their homes. AND IT WORKED!!!

So they kept doing it... And made the people in the government afraid! The government made new laws that were meant to punish Shays and his followers.

The Congress can't help Since the Articles of Confederation did not give Congress the power to raise a standing army, the federal government could not help stop the rebellion.

The Climax The state of Massachusetts sets up an army. Shays and his followers try to take over a federal arsenal to get more guns so that they could fight the army.

Shays and his men lost the battle Shays and his men lost the battle. Some of them got the death penalty for having participated in the rebellion.

Samuel Adams Said What?! “Rebellion against a king may be pardoned, or lightly punished, but the man who dares to rebel against the laws of a republic ought to suffer death”

Views about Shays’s Rebellion Adams will also write a law called the Riot Act, which prohibits 12 people or more from meeting and gives the government the power to shoot rioters! Samuel sure has changed since 1776!

Thomas Jefferson Said What?! "A little rebellion now and then is a good thing. It is a medicine necessary for the sound health of government. God forbid that we should ever be twenty years without such a rebellion."

To the Constitution... The failure of the federal government to solve the problem of Shays' Rebellion made people understand that the Articles of Confederation had made the government too weak. A Constitutional Convention was called to solve the problem.

The Constitution Is Born! After 16 weeks of arguments, the new Constitution was created. And that's the government that we still have today! We will talk about this next time!