Review Articles of Confederation

Articles of Confederation Northwest Ordinance Passed by confederation Congress Created system for bringing new states into the union Congress agreed to divide the Northwest Territory into several smaller territories each of which had a governor appointed by Congress. When the population of a territory reached 60,000, its settlers could draft their own constitution. The people could then ask Congress for permission to join the Union as a state. Ordinance had a bill of rights Required that public education be provided for citizens No slavery

Why were the Articles of Confederation so weak? Revolutionaries Disliked… So Under the AoC… Taxation without representation The federal government could not tax States didn’t have to follow federal laws Large central governments that had absolute power States had their own laws and didn’t have to follow other states’ laws Having to follow British legislation No executive branch or national court system Lots of power in a king’s hands The king changing laws at any time Any amendment required all 13 states’ approval

Background to Shays’s Rebellion Massachusetts has war debts So they tax to earn money Farmers who can’t pay taxes Lose land Debtor’s prison Indentured Servitude Why would the people who just finished fighting the American Revolution be upset by such taxes? Massachusetts refused to print paper money and tried to pay its war debts by collecting taxes on land. The state’s economic policy hit farmers particularly hard. As landowners, they had to pay the new taxes. With little gold or silver and no paper money, farmers had trouble paying their debts. When they couldn’t pay they were forced by the gov. to sell their property, serve terms in prison, or sell themselves as indentured servants.

Shays’s Rebellion Read pages 234-235 of your textbook and answer the following 3 questions.

Constitutional Convention To amend the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation.

Differing Perspectives Did all Americans think the Articles of Confederation were too weak? Read the back of your note sheet and answer the following questions individually. Be prepared to discuss your answers.