1. The Articles of Confederation During the Revolutionary War, the colonists wrote the Articles of Confederation It was their first try at a written government for the country It had strengths, but also weaknesses

2. Presenting the Articles of Confederation The 2 nd Continental Congress wrote the A.O.C. They chose the name, “The United States of America” They organized the government into one branch, the legislative branch. There was no president and no court system.

3. It was the best of times The Articles of Confederation were awesome because: Gave the United States the ability to Negotiate the Treaty of Paris – Ended the revolutionary war, recognized the US, set the western border at the Mississippi river. System of expanding and adding new states – Northwest Ordinance 1787

4. Northwest Ordinance Decided how states would Added to the US

5. It was the worst of times The A.O.C. were terrible because… The Government did not have the power to – Regulate interstate commerce – Collect Taxes – Raise a National Army (each state could raise their own army)

6. Other problems The A.O.C. made the states more powerful than the national government 9 of 13 states had to agree something in order for it to become a law The congress made laws, there was no one else in the government – No courts to figure out what laws mean. – no executive to enforce the laws.