1. Articles of Confederation
Report Card

2. Raising Taxes F No power to tax citizens Had to ask states for money
States could say no

3. Passing Laws
C/D
70% approval difficult but not impossible

4. Amending ConstitutionsF
100% approval necessary
Near impossible to achieve

5. National Affairs F Little power over citizens Shay’s Rebellion
Can’t regulate trade
States print own money

6. Foreign Affairs D Bullied by Britain and Spain
Slow to pay back foreign loans from Revolution

7. Organized Government F No courts to address state border issues
No leader to enforce laws created
Weak national government

8. Northwest Territory A Divided territory and set up governments
Resolved interstate issues
Created a pathway to statehood

9. Successes According to the Articles, the national government can/did:
Create a plan of government – The Articles of Confederation.
Negotiate treaties especially the Treaty of Paris of 1783; successfully ending the American Revolution
Declare war

10. Successes (Con’t)
According to the Articles, the national government can/did:
Make peace
Create new land policies
Run the national postal office
Conduct foreign relations with other countries & Native Americans

11. Weaknesses
According to the Articles of Confederation, the national government had almost no power. It could NOT:
regulate trade amongst the states;
amend (change) the Articles unless all 13 states gave its consent;
force citizens to join the army nor pay for it;
pass a law unless nine states voted for it;

12. Weaknesses (Cont’d)
According to the Articles of Confederation, the national government had almost no power. It could NOT:
collect taxes. They had to ask the states for money to pay for the army and war debts; and each state had their own currency - confusing.
And…each state had one vote in Congress. State population did not matter, although larger, more populated states believed that they should have more votes.

13. To Rewrite or Not to Rewrite? That is the question…
By 1786, chaos ensued. The economy was in trouble, states were quarreling over boundary lines & rebellions in Massachusetts (Shay’s Rebellion) demonstrated the government’s inability to maintain law & order.
In 1787, Alexander Hamilton organized a meeting of the Continental Congress in Philadelphia. It was time to make some changes to the Articles. It was at this meeting that the delegates threw out the Articles & developed the Constitution.