1. The Articles of Confederation

2. Original Ideas Declaration of Independence (1176) Natural Rights
Grievances
Justifies Revolution
Consent of the governed: gov’t legit if people approve
Natural Rights
John Locke
Rights from people basic moral sense trump gov’t authority
Limited Gov’t

3. Original Ideas Self-governance Checks and balances
Individual liberties
Bill of Rights
Representation

4. State Constitutions After DofI, states needed gov’t system
Created a Constitution-plan of government
Limits of gov’t power
Term limits for governors
Three branches: executive, legislative, judicial
List of citizens’ rights
Trial by jury
Freedom of religion

5. Planning the Articles 13 separate governments
Fearful of giving power to central government
Disagreements on representation
VA- based on population
RI- equal representation (afraid high population states would get too powerful)

6. Ratification Ratification- approval Needed all 13 states to approve
Took 4 years for states to agree
Articles ratified in 1781

7. Government Under the Articles of Confederation, 1781
Unicameral (one) national legislature (Congress)
Each state has 1 vote
No executive of judicial branches
Feared they would take power from legislature
Most power rests with state legislatures

8. Government Under the Articles of Confederation, 1781
Congress could:
Declare war
Make foreign treaties
Congress could not:
Tax
Regulate trade (foreign or interstate)
No national currency
No national defense

9. Weakness of the AofC No power to tax= few financial resources
Needed to pay war debts from Revolution
Couldn’t establish and regulate trade= difficult to develop national economy
Value of American money decreases
Weak central gov’t= un-unified collection of states
Different political, economic, and social concerns

10. Shays’ Rebellion, 1786 Farmers can’t sell crops to Caribbean
States raise taxes on land
Farmers can’t pay
Courts threaten to take land
Daniel Shays leads angry farmers in Massachusetts to disrupt courts
Gov’t can’t raise militia to put down rebellion
People call for stronger gov’t
Keep law and order
Solve economic problems