1. Articles of Confederation

2. State constitutions -THE STATES ADOPTED CONSTITUTIONS THAT LIMITED THE POWER OF THE GOVERNOR BECAUSE OF THEIR EXPERIENCE WITH THE BRITISH (KING GEORGE III) Monarchy 1607-1776 Colonies We don’t like this balance of power!!!!

3. Planning a new government -2 nd CONTINENTAL CONGRESS REALIZED THEY NEEDED A CENTRAL GOVERNMENT TO COORDINATE THE WAR EFFORT AGAINST GREAT BRITAIN… SO THEY CREATED THE AOC!

4. Articles of Confederation -AMERICA’S FIRST CONSTITUTION -THE GOVERNMENT (CONGRESS) HAD THE POWER TO: CONDUCT FOREIGN AFFAIRS, MAINTAIN ARMED FORCES, BORROW MONEY & ISSUE CURRENCY -IT COULD NOT: REGULATE TRADE OR IMPOSE TAXES!

5. Confederation 1781-1788 Congress States BALANCE OF POWER SHIFTS TO THE STATES!!! JUST THE WAY WE WANT IT! (WE THINK)

6. Articles of Confederation VIDEO CLIP =

7. Articles of Confederation CONT. - EACH STATE HAD ONE VOTE IN CONGRESS REGARDLESS OF POPULATION, AND ALL HAD TO APPROVE (RATIFY) THE ARTICLES & AMENDMENTS **IT DIDN’T PROVIDE A GOVERNMENT STRONG ENOUGH TO HANDLE THE PROBLEMS FACING THE U.S. **THE CONGRESS HAD LIMITED AUTHORITY! 9 STATES HAD TO VOTE TO PASS LAWS AND IF THEY WANTED TO CHANGE THE AOC, ALL 13 HAD TO APPROVE!!

8. ORDINANCE OF 1785 -ESTABLISHED A PROCEDURE FOR SURVEYING & SELLING THE WESTERN LANDS NORTH OF THE OHIO RIVER! - ORGANIZED THIS NORTHWEST TERRITORY ON A GRID SYSTEM. - THIS IS ONE OF THE FEW STRENGTHS OF THE AOC!

10. NORTHWEST ORDINANCE (1787) - CREATED A SINGLE NORTHWEST TERRITORY OUT OF THE LANDS NORTHWEST OF THE OHIO RIVER & EAST OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. WHEN THE POPULATION OF A TERRITORY REACHED 60,000 THE PEOPLE COULD PETITION FOR STATEHOOD - PROVIDED AN ORGANIZED WAY TO ADMIT STATES TO THE UNION - ANOTHER STRENGTH OF THE AOC

11. ROBERT MORRIS’S IMPORT TAX - PROPOSED A 5% TAX ON IMPORTED GOODS TO HELP PAY THE NATIONAL DEBT - THE PLAN REQUIRED THE AOC TO BE CHANGED TO GIVE CONGRESS THE POWER TO LEVY TAXES - IT FAILED BECAUSE RHODE ISLAND DID NOT APPROVE IT! - THIS SHOWS HARD IT WAS TO CHANGE THE AOC… BIG WEAKNESS!

12. SHAY’S REBELLION - IN 1787, FARMERS REVOLTED BECAUSE THEY COULDN’T PAY THEIR LOANS AND THEY WERE LOSING THEIR FARMS! - THE CONFEDERATION CONGRESS WAS NOT STRONG ENOUGH TO PREVENT VIOLENCE! - THIS FRIGHTENED MANY AMERICANS & THEY WORRIED THEY DID NOT HAVE A STRONG ENOUGH GOVERNMENT TO PREVENT ANY VIOLENCE! - LED TO THE PHILADELPHIA CONVENTION

13. A CALL FOR CHANGE (YEA!) - SOME LEADERS WERE SATISFIED WITH A SYSTEM OF INDEPENDENT STATE GOVERNMENTS - OTHERS SAW A STRONG NATIONAL GOVERNMENT AS A SOLUTION TO AMERICA’S PROBLEMS - AFTER SHAY’S REBELLION, THE CALL FOR CHANGE GROWS LOUDER! - A MEETING IS GOING TO BE SCHEDULED TO DISCUSS CHANGING THE AOC!