Articles of Confederation How the Colonists formed their government…

2 Americans drew from a range of political ideas… Romans - They took lessons on democracy from the Roman Republic. Enlightenment Era - They studied more modern thinkers, such as philosopher John Locke. 1.John Locke – an Enlightenment philosopher who believed in human goodness and the idea that a social contract, or agreement should exist between political leaders and the people they rule. 2.Locke believed in the idea that government has the duty to protect people’s natural rights. 3.He believed the rule of law was more important than the authority of a leader, and that whoever broke the law should be replaced.

3 Americans drew from a range of political ideas… English Documents - They were inspired by English law and used two English documents: 1. Magna Carta – signed by King John in 1215, required the king to follow the rule of law like other English people. 2. English Bill of Rights – passed in 1689, kept the king or queen from passing new taxes or changing laws without Parliament’s approval. As a result, the people’s representatives had a stronger voice in government.

4 Americans drew from a range of political ideas… Our Own Political Traditions – Inspired American leaders because each offered models of representative governments and principals of self- government. 1. Mayflower Compact – written by Pilgrims agreeing to govern themselves and supported the idea of limiting government power. 2. New England town meetings – provided a model for how people can express their views and make decisions. 3. Virginia House of Burgesses – An example of an effective legislative government. 4. Native American Iroquois League – Established the Iroquois Great Law of Peace - a constitution recorded on wampum belts that established a democracy among five Iroquois-speaking tribes. The purpose was to end years of bloody battles among the five tribes. 5. Declaration of Independence – Clearly set forward the ideas on America’s government - Separated the U.S. colonies from Britain.

5 Why were the Articles of Confederation so weak? AoC writers disliked…So under the AoC… Taxation without representation The federal government could not tax A large central government that had absolute power States didn’t have to follow federal laws and treaties Having to follow British legislation States had their own laws and didn’t have to follow other states’ laws Lots of power was in the king’s hands No executive branch or national court system The king could change laws at any time Any amendment required all 13 states’ approval

6 What was the Problem? Since the federal government could not tax, it was very difficult to raise money Since states didn’t have to follow laws and treaties, the federal government had no assurance that individual states would follow them Each state had its own laws, which made it difficult for the country to act in a united way. Congress couldn’t pay back debts from the revolution and couldn’t get states to work together to encourage commerce.

7 What was the Problem? Since there was no executive branch, the government could not defend its borders. Since there was no executive branch and national court system, the government could not enforce its laws Any amendment required all 13 states’ approval, so the AoC was very difficult to modify