What was the Articles of Confederation?

The first Constitution of the United States

A legal agreement between the American colonies and France

A treaty that ended the American Revolutionary War

A document that declared the American colonies independent from Britain

What was the main weakness of the Articles of Confederation?

It gave too much power to the states and not enough to the federal government

It gave too much power to the federal government and not enough to the states

It did not establish a national currency

It did not grant the government the power to collect taxes

What did the Northwest Ordinance of 1787 do?

Established a process for admitting new states to the Union

Abolished slavery in the Northwest Territory

Established a system of public education

Established a national banking system

What was the purpose of the Annapolis Convention of 1786?

To discuss problems with trade between the states

To plan the creation of a new constitution

To discuss the abolition of slavery

To discuss the possibility of declaring war on Great Britain

What was the name of the document that replaced the Articles of Confederation?

The Declaration of Independence

The Articles of Confederation (1-4)

4.1 - The Articles of Confederation

During the American Revolution, the Founding Fathers met to develop a government that would take over as soon as the British left. By 1777, they had written the Articles of Confederation, which created the first United States government. Under the Articles, the states joined together in an alliance of separate state powers with a very weak central government. For example, the government could not collect taxes or keep a standing military. After ten years, the Founding Fathers realized the Articles created a government that was too weak to work! They decided it was time for a change. The Founding Fathers wanted a stronger government that had more authority with the states. Representatives from each state gathered in Philadelphia on May 14, 1787 to discuss possible changes. They agreed on a federalist government, where a central power would oversee and share authority with the states. To make sure the federal government did not gain too much power, they created three branches to provide for checks and balances. The legislative branch would make the laws, the judicial branch would interpret the laws, and the executive branch would enforce the laws. This solved many problems, but one large issue remained: how would the states be represented in this new federal government? At first, the bigger states wanted the population of a state to determine the amount of representation. But the smaller states called foul! The bigger states would end up deciding the laws for everyone. The smaller states suggested that each state have an equal number of representatives. But that would end up giving smaller states too much power. Finally delegates from Connecticut submitted a solution: Why not have two houses make up the legislative branch? The Senate would have an equal number of representatives from each state. Representation in the House of Representatives would be based on the state’s population. This model is called bicameral representation and helped the delegates find a compromise. Between May and September 1787, the delegates at the Constitutional Convention compromised on many issues in order to unite and build a strong national government. They decided the office of the executive would consist of one person and that the national government would have the power to tax and to create a military. These decisions determined that the new federal government would have more authority than before. Some delegates disagreed with the new system, but many of their concerns would be addressed when the Bill of Rights was added to the Constitution in 1789. Looking Ahead At the end of the Constitutional Convention, the delegates signed the Constitution. Many saw a bright future ahead for the United States. The document guarantees a government with three branches based on a system of checks and balances. The delegates of the Convention successfully created a government that addressed the needs of small and large states alike, while providing for a federal government that would tie them together.

2.3 Articles of Confederation and 2.4 The Constitutional Convention

1.5 Weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation

Section 7-1: The Articles of Confederation

The Articles of Confederation (Article)

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