1. The articles of confederation
A Mr. C Production

2. Do Now
This will be collected so please have your full name and the date included.
1. How many signers were there for the Declaration of Independence?
2. Who was the 1st person to sign the Declaration of Independence?
3. What did the Declaration of Independence influence?

3. State Constitutions and governments
New Hampshire was the 1st colony to become into a state in January 1776.
Each state had its own legislature.
Most legislatures were bicameral- 2 parts divided.
Governors were in each state
There were list of rights for each state constitution- trial by jury and protection of personal property to name a few.
The governors were selected by citizens and legislature. It was the governor’s job to carry out the law. Judges applied the laws to new situations. These bill of rights can be traced back to the Magna Carta and English Bill of Rights.

5. The Articles of Confederation
Was planned by the Second Continental Congress.
A confederation- is a group of individual state governments that are united.
The Articles of Confederation- Was the 1st constitution of the United States of America.
In 1781, all 13 states ratified- approved the Articles.
A lot of the states did not know how to govern themselves. They didn’t have enough money to raise an army. 13 small separate colonies could not fight Great Britain. The colonies knew that they needed a single strong army. Confederations are united for a common good. The Articles contained a 1 house legislature in which each state had 1 vote. It was known as the Confederation Congress. It controlled the army and could deal with foreign countries if they dealt with states.

7. The northwest Ordinances
The Ordinance of 1785 measured pieces of land in the west and divided them into 36 townships.
The Northwest Ordinance of 1787 created the government in the Northwest territory.
It allowed for ways to adding new states into the Union.
By the 1790’s there were 120,000 settlers in the Northwest. It did not allow slavery. This would be a pivotal part of American history later on during the Civil War.

10. The Articles of confederation problems- Power and money
Congress had NO power to collect taxes.
Congress had NO power to regulate trade.
Congress had NO power enforcing laws.
Think about this very carefully people were living tax free and trade was completely unregulated, a lack of law means crime can go unpunished. No one insured that a law was being obeyed. Congress did not demand for money.

11. Lack of central pOWER
The Articles lacked a single leader or group to run government policy.
There was no national court.
This is how the Articles were chaotic.

12. Rigid Laws
9 states had to approve laws in order for Congress to pass them.
The Articles could not be changed without 13 states all agreeing.
9 out 13 states is a lot. States could ignore laws regularly. Money wouldn’t be demanded.

13. Shays’ REBELLION
The Confederation of Congress was in huge debt due to burrowing money for the American Revolution.
State governments were in debt as well, citizens were taxed heavily.
Farmers lost land due to not being able to sell crops.
The United States finally gained its independence in 1783 after defeating Great Britain in the Revolutionary war with the Treaty of Paris. Taxes hurt trade.

14. ShaYs’ REBELLION CONTINUED
Riots started in 1786 and 1787 in some states.
Daniel Shays a former colonial solider, now farmer led a 1,200 person protest over farmland being taken away due to debt from heavy state taxes after the American Revolution- Shay’s Rebellion.
It was stopped, it led to 12 out of the 13 states (Representatives) meeting once again to change the Articles of Confederation in 1787.

15. Activity
For the remainder of class, please read the document at your desk quietly.
Please answer the questions in it.
Please take your time reading the document.
This might be collected and graded.