Articles of Confederation Approved in 1777 and ratified

Articles of Confederation Approved in 1777 and ratified in 1781 First American Constitution

Northwest Ordinance of 1785 Northwest Ordinance of 1787 Designed to create towns Designed to create states

Strengths 1. Congress could: – – – raise an army declare war sign treaties Borrow $$$ Create postal system 2. Held the states together 3. Spread democracy be developing western territories which eventually became states 4. Negotiated a treaty with Great Britain (Treaty of Paris)

Weaknesses 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. The states had more power than the federal gov’t Unicameral legislature-1 house of Congress Each state had 1 vote Federal gov’t could not levy taxes Unanimous vote required to amend the Articles 9/13 had to agree to make laws, declare war, sign treaties and forge alliances 7. Could not regulate commerce 8. Only one small branch of gov’t – No judicial, executive or House of Representatives

Shay’s Rebellion (1786 – 87) Uprising in western Massachusetts. In a period of economic depression and land seizures for debt collection, several hundred farmers led by Daniel Shays (1747 – 1825. Shays then led about 1, 200 men in an attack on the nearby federal arsenal The Mass. State gov’t was forced to pay the state militia to suppress the uprising This demonstrated to our forefathers that the Articles needed to at least be changed. Soon after the delegates met in Philadelphia they decided that the Articles could not be reformed and thus they were scrapped http: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=3 Im. IEcs. TEVo