Articles of confederation

Articles of Confederation

The first national governing document of the United States after independence from Great Britain.

Articles of Confederation purpose

To create a national government for the 13 states after they became independent from Great Britain.

Confederation

A system where states keep most power and the central government is weak.

Thirteen states under the Articles

The Articles governed the 13 states that made up the new United States of America.

United States after independence

The country needed a governing system after separating from Great Britain.

Weak central government

A major feature of the Articles of Confederation, where the national government had limited authority.

State sovereignty

The idea that each state kept most of its independence and power under the Articles.

States under the Articles

States had more power than the national government.

Congress under the Articles

The national government had a Congress, but it had limited power.

No president under the Articles

The Articles did not create a strong executive branch to enforce laws.

No national court system under the Articles

The Articles did not create a strong federal judicial branch.

No power to tax

Congress could request money from the states but could not directly tax citizens.

Tax weakness under the Articles

The national government struggled to raise money because it depended on states voluntarily providing funds.

No power to regulate trade

Congress could not effectively control trade between states or with foreign nations.

Trade problems under the Articles

States could create their own trade policies, which caused conflict and economic disorder.

No power to enforce laws

The national government had difficulty making states follow national decisions.

Unanimous consent for amendments

Changes to the Articles required approval from all 13 states.

Problem with unanimous consent

It made it extremely difficult to fix the weaknesses of the Articles.

One

state, one

Problem with one

state, one

Supermajority requirement

Major laws required approval from 9 of the 13 states.

Problem with the supermajority requirement

It made it hard for Congress to pass important laws.

Economic weakness under the Articles

The national government struggled with debt, trade problems, and lack of tax revenue.

National debt

Money owed by the United States after the Revolutionary War.

Revolutionary War debt

Debt from the war that the weak national government struggled to pay.

Foreign policy weakness

The national government had difficulty dealing with other countries because it lacked power and unity.

Military weakness

The national government could not easily raise or support an army.

State conflict

States often disagreed with each other over trade, taxes, borders, and laws.

Lack of national unity

A major problem under the Articles because states acted more like separate countries than one nation.

Shays’ Rebellion

A 1786–1787 uprising by farmers in Massachusetts that exposed the weakness of the Articles of Confederation.

Importance of Shays’ Rebellion

It showed that the national government was too weak to respond effectively to internal unrest.

Internal unrest

Conflict or rebellion inside a country.

Need for stronger government

The weaknesses of the Articles led many leaders to believe the United States needed a stronger national government.

Constitutional Convention

The 1787 meeting in Philadelphia where delegates replaced the Articles with the U.S. Constitution.

Original goal of the Constitutional Convention

To revise the Articles of Confederation.

Actual result of the Constitutional Convention

Delegates created a new Constitution instead of only revising the Articles.

U.S. Constitution

The governing document that replaced the Articles of Confederation.

Constitution replacing the Articles

The Constitution created a stronger national government with more power to govern effectively.

Stronger federal government

A key change from the Articles to the Constitution.

Federal system

A system where power is divided between the national government and state governments.

Federalism

The constitutional principle that power is shared between national and state governments.

Articles vs. Constitution on state power

The Articles gave most power to the states, while the Constitution gave more power to the national government.

Articles vs. Constitution on national power

The Articles created a weak national government, while the Constitution created a stronger federal government.

Articles vs. Constitution on taxes

Under the Articles, Congress could not directly tax; under the Constitution, Congress can tax.

Articles vs. Constitution on trade

Under the Articles, Congress could not effectively regulate trade; under the Constitution, Congress can regulate interstate and foreign commerce.

Articles vs. Constitution on executive power

The Articles had no strong executive, while the Constitution created the presidency.

Articles vs. Constitution on judicial power

The Articles lacked a strong national court system, while the Constitution created a federal judiciary.

Articles vs. Constitution on law enforcement

The Articles had weak enforcement power, while the Constitution gave the national government stronger authority to enforce laws.

Articles vs. Constitution on amendments

The Articles required unanimous consent to amend, while the Constitution created a more workable amendment process.

Articles vs. Constitution on representation

The Articles used one vote per state, while the Constitution created a bicameral Congress balancing population and state equality.

Bicameral Congress

A two

House of Representatives

The chamber of Congress based on population.

Senate

The chamber of Congress where each state has equal representation with two senators.

Great Compromise

The agreement that created a bicameral Congress with representation by population in the House and equal state representation in the Senate.

Separation of powers

The Constitution divided government into legislative, executive, and judicial branches.

Legislative branch

The branch that makes laws.

Executive branch

The branch that enforces laws.

Judicial branch

The branch that interprets laws.

Checks and balances

The system where each branch can limit the power of the other branches.

Purpose of checks and balances

To prevent any one branch from becoming too powerful.

Constitution and tyranny prevention

The Constitution created stronger government while also dividing power to prevent tyranny.

Limited government

The principle that government power is restricted by the Constitution.

Popular sovereignty

The principle that government power comes from the people.

Republican government

A system where citizens elect representatives to govern on their behalf.

Ratification

The formal approval of the Constitution by the states.

Federalists

Supporters of the Constitution who wanted a stronger national government.

Anti

Federalists

Federalist argument

A stronger national government was necessary to fix the weaknesses of the Articles.

Anti

Federalist concern

Bill of Rights

The first ten amendments to the Constitution, added to protect individual freedoms.

Why the Bill of Rights was added

To address Anti

Main weakness of the Articles

The national government lacked enough power to tax, regulate trade, enforce laws, and maintain national unity.

Main strength of the Articles

They helped hold the states together during and after the Revolutionary War and established an early national government.

Main change from Articles to Constitution

The United States moved from a weak confederation of states to a stronger federal system.

Articles of Confederation legacy

The Articles showed the need for a stronger national government and led to the creation of the Constitution.

Constitution legacy

The Constitution created a stronger, more organized national government while preserving state power and protecting rights.

Main exam point for Articles to Constitution

The Articles created a weak national government, and their failures led to the Constitution, which strengthened federal power through taxation, trade regulation, separation of powers, checks and balances, and federalism.