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Weaknesses of the Articles

Page history last edited by Mr. Hengsterman 2 years, 5 months ago

 

 

America's First Constitution  – “A Rope of Sand” [1781-1789]

The Articles of Confederation, reflecting republican fears of both centralized power and excessive popular influence,
leads to conflicts among the states that threaten the existence of the young nation.

 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

During the years immediately following the Revolutionary War, the colonies organized themselves into a new American government.  The Articles of Confederation (1781-1789) served as the foundation for this first attempt at a national government and while a failure, it was the lessons learned under the articles that helped strengthen the government formed by the Constitution.

 

PROBLEMS UNDER THE ARTICLES of CONFEDERATION
REVIEW VIDEO on THE ARTICLES  (15 Minutes)

 

 

Weaknesses

 

Consequences

No Chief Executive – Congress used committees to

Get their work accomplished

No executieve leadership 

No one leader to organize things, no one person for a  foreign nation to deal with, committees didn’t   

     work well together

 

Passing a law took approval of 9 of the 13 states

One State, One Vote

 

With 5 “small” and 8 “large” states it was almost impossible to get an agreement, delegates from all states weren’t around very often

 

Amending the document required approval of 13 of the 13 states

Amendments required unanimous vote

This never happened, so even when changes were needed, they couldn’t happen

 

 

Congress could request the states pay taxes, but they could not force them to pay.  Congress could borrow money. "Government by supplication"

Most states had debts of their own and were slow to pay the requested amount if they paid it at all. 

Congress borrowed money from foreign nations, but all that did was increase our national debt

 

Congress possessed no power to control commerce foreign or domestic

Made it difficult for nations to trade with the US because of the different state regulations.  Congress had no power to protect US industries with duties.

 

Congress could make treaties but had no power to require the states to follow them

 

Couldn’t force the states to live up to the Treaty of Paris

Congress could make laws but had no power to force the states to abide by them  

They could ask, but they couldn’t force.  So if a law had been passed the 4 states that disagreed could just not follow it

No National court system 

No way to settle disputes between states

 

 

 

 

The Articles of Confederation – A Successful Failure?  
Landmark land laws under the Articles orchestrated the orderly settlement of the Northwest
Territory, where temporary tutelage blossomed into permanent equality.

 

 


 

Northwest Ordinace.jpg

 

 

 

 

 

 

  The Horrid Specter of Anarchy – Shays’s Rebellion 1787
How Social tensions reached a fever pitch when debt-ridden farmers hoped to free
themselves from the demands of a merchant-dominated government and seize arms on a quest to

 

 

 

 

 

Dates

Organization

Attendance

1781 to 1789

Articles of Confederation
Power to the states, decentralized gov’t

13

 

1785

Alexandria Convention
Virginia and Maryland agree to navigation rights on the Potomac 

2

1786

Annapolis Convention
Called to discuss problems with the Articles 8 states invited, 5 arrive. Economic problems need to be addressed at the national level(Hamilton)

 

The real significance of the Annapolis Convention lay in its decision to request another convention to discuss the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation

 

5

 

Shays’s Rebellion (summer of 1786) adds the added incentive of fear to the invitation to revise the Articles of Confederation.

 

 

 

1787

Philadelphia Convention

Called to revise the Article

12

 

 

 

 

 

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