Bell Work Why do you think Americans might have been concerned about creating a strong national government?

In Lak’ech by Luis Valdez Tu eres me otro yo Si te hago daño a ti, Me hago daño a mi mismo Si te amo y respeto Me amo y respeto yo You are my other me If I do harm to you, I do harm to myself If I love and respect you I love and respect myself

Bell Work Why do you think Americans might have been concerned about creating a strong national government?

Government Under the Articles of Confederation Delegates to the Second Continental Congress debated the distribution of power between the national and state governments. The Articles of Confederation established a loose union among independent states with only a simple central government. The central government had no court system, no executive, and a unicameral legislature with only the powers named in the Articles. Each state had one vote in Congress and all other powers not named in the Articles.

Problems in the Confederation Period The new states operated independently, issuing individual currencies and imposing tariffs on one another. The weak national government could not force states to give it money and had to rely on state courts to enforce and interpret national laws. Key achievements of the Confederation were the treaty with Britain, laws for organizing western land, approving money for a navy, and creating cabinet departments.

Need for a Stronger National Government Shays’s Rebellion spread unrest to other states, and American leaders believed the national government was vulnerable to anarchy. Following Shays’s Rebellion, delegates proposed changes to the Articles of Confederation to make the national government more effective. Congress consented to a convention with the sole purpose of revising the Articles of Confederation.

Articles of Confederation Working in pairs: Read the handout on the Articles of Confederation Answer the 5 questions about the handout

What was the primary conflict among the group writing the Articles of Confederation?  A.whether the national government would provide free education  B.whether the national government would be strong or weak  C.whether the government would possess a large army  D.whether the government would collect taxes or not

How was the new confederation different from our government today. A How was the new confederation different from our government today? A.It had no president or court system. B.It had no standing army. C.It offered voting rights to all citizens. D.It offered small loans to farmers.

After the Revolutionary War, the thirteen states saw themselves as A After the Revolutionary War, the thirteen states saw themselves as A.united as a single strong nation. B.independent rather than united. C.a major force on the world stage. D.a single culture and political body.

An example of the challenges faced by Americans after the Revolutionary War was how A.it was impossible to sell goods abroad. B.the national transportation system had been destroyed. C.British troops were still stationed in cities. D.each state had its own currency.

After the Revolutionary War, the national government owed $40 million to A.foreign countries and American soldiers who had yet to be fully paid. B.individual state legislatures and their leaders. C.Native American tribes from the west. D.American taxpayers.

Why was the national debt a serious problem for the new nation?  A.The amount of money was very small.  B.Individual states did not feel responsible for a "national" debt.  C.National leaders were not interested in solving the problem.  D.The nation had money but no means to distribute it.

What did the Land Ordinance of 1785 and the Northwest Ordinance of 1787 achieve?  A.They provided a way to settle western lands.  B.They sold land to foreign countries for a huge profit.  C.They turned forests into profitable farmland.  D.They laid the groundwork for the Industrial Revolution.

Shays's Rebellion made it clear that A Shays's Rebellion made it clear that A.creditors would forgive the debts of farmers. B.democracy had taken root in the new nation. C.the national government was too weak. D.states could handle small uprisings.

Shays's Rebellion and the Massachusetts government's reaction to it caused many people to fear  A.hunger.  B.anarchy.  C.oppression.  D.taxes.

The group revising the Articles of Confederation eventually decided to  A.give more power to the states.  B.ask the British Parliament for advice about how to organize the government.  C.create a new branch of government to deal with debts.  D.write a new constitution.

Reflection What do you think was the greatest advantage of the Articles of Confederation? What do you think was the greatest weakness of the Articles of Confederation?