2-3 The Articles of Confederation

Objectives Explain the weaknesses and achievements of the Articles of Confederation

The Flawed Articles of Confederation

Government Under the Articles March 1781 all 13 states ratified or approved the Articles of Confederation The nation’s first government included a single- chamber (unicameral) Congress with limited powers. Each state had one vote in Congress, but the government had no executive branch or court system.

Weaknesses of the Articles The Congress had to depend on the states for money Had no power to collect taxes, Had no power to regulate trade Had no power to enforce the laws. Very difficult for Amending or changing the Articles; required the approval of all the states.

Weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation Continued The central government had no president or executive branch and carried out much of its work through congressional committees. There was no system of national courts; instead state courts enforced and interpreted national laws. The Articles need approval of 9 of 13 of the states to pass a law

Achievements Despite its weaknesses, the Confederation government established a fair policy for developing western land. The individual states ceded or yielded territory claims on those area The Confederation’s Congress signed a peace treaty with England.

Achievements The main purpose of Congress was for foreign affairs and defense The Confederation government set up several departments establishing the precedent for cabinet departments later mentioned in the Constitution. The most important achievement of the government under the Articles of Confederation was the passage of the Northwest Ordinance.

The Need for Stronger Government Soon after the war, disputes broke out among the states The government’s debt left soldiers unpaid. Many were alarmed when an economic depression in 1786 lead to Shay’s Rebellion, an armed uprising by Massachusetts farmers who could not pay their debt’s. This rebellion may have been the main reason many Americans agreed to a strong national government

Annapolis Convention Leaders who favored a stronger government failed to accomplish much at the 1786 Annapolis Convention, but persuaded the Confederation Congress to call a convention in Philadelphia to revise the Articles of Confederation