1. The Articles of Confederation: Accomplishments and Weaknesses
Level 1
The Articles of Confederation: Accomplishments and Weaknesses

2. Vocabulary
Indirect representation: when elected officials elect higher officials
Interstate commerce: trade between states
Legislature: a law making body of government
Tariff: a tax on imports
Amendment: a change, deletion or addition to a document like a constitution
Northwest Territory: unsettled land that now contains the states of Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, Indiana and Ohio that was gained after the Revolutionary War
Land Ordinance of 1785: divided the land in the Northwest Territory
Northwest Ordinance, 1787: a law that allowed for a government, civil liberties and eventual statehood for territories
Civil Liberties: guaranteed rights of citizens
Separation of Powers: power of government is divided into 3 branches (legislative, judicial, and executive) to prevent any person or group from gaining too much power
Checks and Balances: each branch limits the power of the other branches

3. Essential Questions
What were the accomplishments of the Articles of Confederation?
What were the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation?

4. The Articles Suffered From Many Weaknesses
Indirect representation
Each state chose delegates
The delegates voted on the President of Congress.
President of Congress Alexander Hamilton

5. The Articles Suffered From Many Weaknesses
No coercive power; they couldn’t force the colonies to do anything, they could just ask or advise:
Couldn’t collect taxes
Couldn’t control trade between states
Shays’ Rebellion:
armed rebellion in Massachusetts 1786
led by Daniel Shay
against farm foreclosures (having your farm taken away) because they couldn’t pay taxes to the state
militia ended it
Couldn’t make colonies follow the Treaty of Paris agreements:
Pay back debt
Return Loyalist property
States held more power than the central government
Shay’s Rebellion by Stan Mack

6. The Articles Suffered From Many Weaknesses
Lack of national executive and judicial functions
Legislature was the only branch of government
Could only ask the states to follow their ideas
States held the law making legislatures, judicial and the executive functions

7. The Articles Suffered From Many Weaknesses
Lack of taxing power
Couldn’t tax
Could only ask states to give it money to run the government and repay debts
Other countries placed tariffs on US goods; the US was not able to that

8. The Articles Suffered From Many Weaknesses
Difficulty in passing legislation
2/3rds of votes from Congress to pass laws (9/13)
All states had to agree to an amendment

9. The Articles had Several Achievements and Contributions
Land Ordinance of 1785: divided the land in the Northwest Territory
6 sq. miles made a township
36 subdivision of 640 acres
640 acres was the smallest amount of land that could be bought
Sold at auction for $1.00/acre
Money made helped pay debts
One section must have a school
Problems:
People bought it and then sold it to make money
Natives and land companies fought each other

10. The Articles had Several Achievements and Contributions
Northwest Ordinance, 1787:
States could be made out of the Northwest Territory
When 5,000 adult males lived there they could have:
an elected legislature
a legislative council
A Governor and Judges appointed by Congress
When 60,000 free people lived in the territory they could:
write a constitution
elect and appoint state government officials
apply for statehood
if their constitution was accepted by Congress, they would become a state

11. The Articles had Several Achievements and Contributions
Developed the privileges and immunities of citizenship
Gave six civil liberties and rights for the Northwest Territory
Freedom of religion
Writ of habeas corpus (being brought in front of a judge to decide whether or not a prisoner should be held or let go)
Trial by jury
Protection of property
No cruel and unusual punishment
Sanctity of contracts
Also…
Encouraged free public education
Encouraged respect of Indian lands
Slavery was not allowed

12. The Articles had Several Achievements and Contributions
Developed the concept of limited government
Tried out a weak central government with no real power
Influenced the idea for the separation of powers and checks and balances in the US Constitution

13. Essential Questions
What were the accomplishments of the Articles of Confederation?
What were the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation?