Notes on the Articles of Confederation Study Guide

A League of Friendship – The Articles of Confederation

• Written in $1777$ but needed to be ratified by all $13$ states; the last state, Maryland, ratified in $1781$.

• Unicameral, or single-chamber, Congress:

  • Each state had one vote, regardless of size or population;
  • Congress had only the powers expressly stated in the Articles (foreign affairs and defense);
  • All other powers remained with the independent states;
  • The federal government was dependent on the states for revenue, soldiers, and law enforcement.

• No executive branch:

  • The position of president of Congress was ceremonial;
  • One delegate from each state formed a committee that ran the government when Congress was not assembled.

• No federal court system:

  • Congress settled disputes among states.

Structure and Powers Under the Articles

• Powers of Congress Under the Articles:
  • $ext{make war and peace}$;
  • $ext{send and receive ambassadors}$;
  • $ext{enter into treaties}$;
  • $ext{raise and equip a navy}$;
  • $ext{borrow money}$;
  • $ext{maintain an army by requesting troops from states}$;
  • $ext{appoint senior military officers}$;
  • $ext{fix standards of weights and measures}$;
  • $ext{establish post offices}$;
  • $ext{decide certain disputes among the states}$;
  • $ext{negotiate with Native Americans}$.

Greatest Achievements

• Land Ordinance of $1785$:

  • Established a plan for surveying the land west of the Appalachian Mountains.

• Northwest Ordinance of $1787$:

  • Created a pathway for territories to become states.

Northwest Ordinance – Requirements and Process

• Requirements for the Northwest Ordinance:

  • Congress would appoint a territorial governor;
  • When a territory reached $5{,}000$ voting residents, settlers could write a temporary constitution and elect their own government;
  • Total population of territory
    ightarrow 60{,}000 – settlers could apply for statehood.

• The ordinance would establish a clear, orderly process by which new territories in the west could become states.

• These laws established a blueprint for the growth of the new nation.

Weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation (AoC)

• Structural weaknesses:

  • No separate executive branch to enforce laws; the government relied on states.
  • No national court system; courts lacked unity because each state operated as a separate entity pursuing its own interests.
  • One state = One vote in Congress, regardless of population or contribution, limiting larger states’ influence.

• Legislative weaknesses:

  • Could not be amended without the consent of all $13$ states (change was therefore extremely difficult).
  • Congress could not enact $ext{taxes}$.
  • Congress could not regulate $ext{interstate commerce}$ or $ext{foreign trade}$.
  • $9/13$ states needed to agree to pass a law: a high hurdle for action.
  • Slavery was not addressed head-on.

• Economic consequences:

  • The war cost the treasury millions of dollars;
  • The Continental Congress borrowed from foreign countries;
  • Paper money became worthless.

Foreign Relations Problems

• The lack of support by states for national concerns weakened Congress’s ability to manage debt and foreign policy.
• As a result, Spain shut down the Mississippi River, hurting merchants and trade.

Fear of a Strong Government

• Americans’ fear of centralized power led to a government that lacked sufficient power to address the nation’s problems.
• This tension between state sovereignty and central authority was a central driver behind the push for a new framework of government.