2: Articles of Confederation

AoC was what and when?

America's first attempt at a government was drafted in 1777 and lasted for 10 years

Aoc Congress powers =

no single person in charge

• Laws: had Congress governing body and gave them the power to issue bills

• Foreign policy: Congress had power to sign treates+alliances

AoC State powers =

all economic powers! So that gov could not abuse/misuse power

• Taxation: Gave states power to tax, impose tariffs on trade w/ other states

• Commerce: each state regulated its own commerce, and states handled their own disputes, each state used its own $

• Military: States had their own army 

AoC Problems (state + federal)

Gov replicated Europe's separate countries NOT the UNITED states

• States had very different economies -> creating 13 distinct countries

  • Diff currencies, taxes

  • Bred division and competition between states

• Congress lacks economic power, foreign trade power, military or police force to enforce laws, required unanimity which means nothing gets done

Downfall of Articles

The system collapsed the same way other democratic attempts had (Germany, China, Russia) -> American leaders AGREED, realized this, and got together to redraft, which worked bc they had the same ideologies vs (G,C,R)

• Economic Depression:

  • Post-war debt

  • Each state had majorly different economic states

  • No central leader to assist struggling states, tax, or interfere w/ trade

AoC Momentum for new gov =

• Shay’s Rebellion (1786)

  • Farmer in mass who served in independent army was promised compensation

  • He does not receive compensation -> begins to believe like others Rev + AoC was just for the rich Americans NOT for all

  • Stages Rebellion: people rebelled against court and army, they eventually shut down w/ help of other states but panic still spreads