Summary of the Articles of Confederation

Overview of the Articles of Confederation

• The Articles of Confederation were the first governing document of the United States, ratified in 1781.

• They were created due to the need for a constitution after declaring independence from Britain on July 4, 1776.

Influences on the Articles of Confederation

• The Articles were influenced by existing state constitutions that primarily focused power within the legislative branch.

  • Legislative Branch: Responsible for making laws and directly answerable to the people.

Key Features of the Articles of Confederation

• Lack of Executive and Judicial Power:

  • No president and no national supreme court were included.

  • All power rested in a single legislative body where each state had one vote.

• Super-majority Requirement:

  • Changes to the Articles required approval from 9 out of 13 states, making amendments extremely difficult.

Challenges Faced by the Confederation

• Westward Migration:

  • Conflict arose between settlers and American Indians, alongside issues with squatting in unoccupied territories.

• Northwest Ordinance of 1787:

  • Key legislation passed to address western expansion, promoting public education and protecting private property.

  • Significant Provisions:

  • Abolished slavery in the Northwest Territory.

  • Provided a process for territories to gain statehood.

• Shays’s Rebellion:

  • A significant uprising led by Daniel Shays in response to economic hardships faced by returning Revolutionary War veterans.

  • Highlighted the flaws in the Articles due to lack of federal power to respond to such civil unrest.

  • Demonstrated the inability of the government to assist states in crisis, prompting calls for a new Constitution.

Conclusion & Next Steps

• The weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation led to discussions on drafting a new Constitution.

• Further examination of the outcomes of these discussions will be explored in the next video.