this lesson’s essential question:

This Lesson’s Essential Question:

Why were the Articles of Confederation unable to provide an effective plan of government

for the United States?

Lesson 8.1a: The Articles of Confederation

Today we will analyze the Articles of

Confederation.

Vocabulary

• republican – form of government in which people elect the people who govern them

• bill – a written paper or list containing a statement of details or facts

• constitution – a written outline of government• establish – create or set up• ordinance – a law

Check for Understanding

• What is today’s Essential Question?• Do Democrats have republican beliefs?• What does it mean if the city council

establishes an ordinance against raising chickens in your backyard?

What We Already Know

The Enlightenment spread the ideas that people had rights that

came from God and that governments should exist to protect those

rights.

John LockeJohn Locke

What We Already KnowFor eight years, the

United States fought a bitter war against a

government that threatened those rights.

For eight years, the United States fought a

bitter war against a government that

threatened those rights.

What We Already Know

During the Revolutionary War, the Continental Congress had served as the

government for the United States.

During the Revolutionary War, the Continental Congress had served as the

government for the United States.

Read aloud with me:Once the American colonies declared

independence, each of the states had to create its own government.

New State Governments

• What is a constitution?• Wanted political systems

to be more democratic

New State GovernmentsNew State Governments

Separate branches keep the government from becoming too

powerful.


• Tried to weaken the executive branch (enforces the laws)

• Short terms of office


Some states abolished slavery. Some states abolished slavery.


• Some state constitutions had a bill of rights.


• All states had a republican form of government.

• Pattern for the U.S. Constitution

• All states had a republican form of government.

• Pattern for the U.S. Constitution

Get your whiteboards and markers ready!

1. What effect did state governments have on national politics?

A. They provided a pattern for the U.S. Constitution.

B. They abolished slavery everywhere.

C. They created constitutions that contained bills of rights.

D. They demanded that Congress repeal the Northwest Ordinance.

What form of government did all the new states create?

What form of government did all the new states create?

A. republican

B. democratic

C. parliamentary

D. magisterial

E. bureaucratic

A. republican

B. democratic

C. parliamentary

D. magisterial

E. bureaucratic

2. Why did most of the new state constitutions create governments

with separate branches?

2. Why did most of the new state constitutions create governments

with separate branches?

A. It was the way government had been organized back in England.

B. Separate branches would make the governments strong and effective.

C. Each branch could operate independently of the other two.

D. They wanted to prevent those govern-ments from becoming too powerful.

A. It was the way government had been organized back in England.

B. Separate branches would make the governments strong and effective.

C. Each branch could operate independently of the other two.

D. They wanted to prevent those govern-ments from becoming too powerful.

Track with me as I read:

During the Revolutionary War, each state was independent, with a

republican form of government.

The war showed the need for the states to work together.

This idea of “united we stand, divided we fall” carried on after

independence was won.

In 1776, the Continental Congress began to develop a plan for a national government.

• Government should be a republic• Based on the British Parliament

The Articles of Confederation

Final plan called the Articles of Confederation

The first American government was intentionally made weak by a people that had fought a desperate war for freedom against a

powerful and abusive government.

The first American government was intentionally made weak by a people that had fought a desperate war for freedom against a

powerful and abusive government.

The Articles of Confederation

• Government only had a legislative branch, the Congress.

• One vote in Congress per state, regardless of size

• No executive branch to enforce its laws.

• Government only had a legislative branch, the Congress.

• One vote in Congress per state, regardless of size

• No executive branch to enforce its laws.

The most important powers were left to the states.

• to set taxes• to enforce

national laws

Congress could only . . .

• wage war and make peace• sign treaties w/other countries• issue money• govern Western lands

3. Who had the most powers under

the Articles of Confederation?

3. Who had the most powers under

the Articles of Confederation?

A. the national government

B. the state governments

C. FederalistsD. republicans

4. What was the United States Congress modeled after?

4. What was the United States Congress modeled after?

A. the German Reichstag B. the British ParliamentC. the French Estates GeneralD. the Russian DumaE. the Spanish Diet

A. the German Reichstag B. the British ParliamentC. the French Estates GeneralD. the Russian DumaE. the Spanish Diet

The Problem of Western Land

Some of the smaller states

refused to ratify (approve) the

Articles of Confederation.

The Problem of Western Lands

• Wanted the national government to control the western states

• Western lands could be sold to pay debts left from the Revolution.

The Problem of Western Lands

Larger states agreed to give up title to the

western lands.

The Land Ordinance of 1785

Set up the way the Northwest Territory would

be settled

The Land Ordinance of 1785

• Six-mile square townships

• One square-mile section of land sold to provide money for schools

• First national government support for public education

The Northwest Ordinance

• Described how the Northwest Territory was to be governed

• With 60,000 people, they could apply to become a new state.

• N.W.O. set a pattern for the orderly growth of the United States.

• Described how the Northwest Territory was to be governed

• With 60,000 people, they could apply to become a new state.

• N.W.O. set a pattern for the orderly growth of the United States.

N.W.O. banned slavery in the Northwest Territory.

N.W.O. guaranteed religious freedom.

5. What issues affected the Western territories between 1775 and 1787?

A. Who would control the territories

B. How to divide western lands

C. Making peace with the Indians

D. How to settle the western lands

E. How to buy more land from foreign countries

Choose all that are true!Choose all that are true!

6. What did the Land Ordinance of 1785 do?

A. Townships were established in the Northwest Territory.

B. Each township was a six-mile square (36 sq. miles).

C. One square-mile section was set aside to earn money for schools.

D. Slavery was banned in all townships.

A. Townships were established in the Northwest Territory.

B. Each township was a six-mile square (36 sq. miles).

C. One square-mile section was set aside to earn money for schools.

D. Slavery was banned in all townships.

Choose the one that is NOT true!Choose the one that is NOT true!

7. What did the Northwest Ordinance do?

7. What did the Northwest Ordinance do?

A. It outlined when the territories could govern themselves.

B. It established settlers' rights to religious freedom.

C. It set a pattern for the orderly growth of the United States.

D. It allowed Congress to purchase land from Mexico.

E. It banned slavery in the Northwest Territory.

A. It outlined when the territories could govern themselves.

B. It established settlers' rights to religious freedom.

C. It set a pattern for the orderly growth of the United States.

D. It allowed Congress to purchase land from Mexico.

E. It banned slavery in the Northwest Territory.

Choose the one that is NOT true!Choose the one that is NOT true!

Weaknesses of the Articles

• Revolutionary War debt was a critical problem for the government.

• Congress had borrowed money to pay the Continental soldiers.


• Several hundred unpaid soldiers surrounded Congress in June 1783.

• Threatened by the soldiers, Congressmen were forced to flee the city.

• Clear sign of Congress’s weakness

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• No power to tax under the Articles

• Congress depended on the states to send money, but very little was sent.


• Ordinary people also faced hard times.

• In Massachusetts, the people rose up in arms against the government.

8. What were the strengths of the Articles of Confederation?

A. They empowered Congress to make treaties.

B. They empowered Congress to enforce laws.

C. They empowered Congress to levy and collect taxes and regulate trade.

D. They left important powers to the states.

E. They created a powerful chief executive to run the government.

Choose all that are true!

8. What were the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation?

A. Congress had no power to enforce laws, collect taxes, or regulate trade.

B. They withheld important powers from the states.

C. They lacked a chief executive to run the government.

D. They contained a limited bill of rights.E. They were difficult for the states to amend.

Choose all that are true!

The government’s weakness led to violence.

The government’s weakness led to violence.

• In Massachusetts, farmers who could not pay their tax debts lost their land and were jailed.

• In 1787, about 1500 farmers rebelled.

This rebellion was led by a

revolutionary war veteran named Daniel Shays.

Shays’ rebels kept judges from ruling against debtors.

Shays’ rebels kept judges from ruling against debtors.

In January 1787, the rebels attacked a federal arsenal to

get weapons.

900 Massachusetts militia defended the arsenal.

900 Massachusetts militia defended the arsenal.

The militia defeated them, killing four protesters, but they many Americans

sympathized with the rebels.

• Congress saw that an uprising of common farmers was a serious national danger.

• Some hoped that strengthening the national government might solve the problem.

Why was the Confederation Congress not able to pay the

soldiers who fought during the Revolutionary War?

Why was the Confederation Congress not able to pay the

soldiers who fought during the Revolutionary War?

A. It still owed too much money to France and Spain.

B. The Constitution prohibited cash payments to the military.

C. The government was bankrupt after buying Louisiana from France.

D. It did not have the power to levy taxes.

A. It still owed too much money to France and Spain.

B. The Constitution prohibited cash payments to the military.

C. The government was bankrupt after buying Louisiana from France.

D. It did not have the power to levy taxes.

9. What caused Shays’

Rebellion?

A. A slave rebellion in North Carolina

B. Seizure of land from Massachusetts farmers who couldn’t pay their debts

C. Government failure to provide Kentucky settlers with protection from Indian attacks

D. Rebellious Continental soldiers who hadn't been paid for their service

this lesson’s essential question:

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