Articles of Confederation

Question 1

What was the Articles of Condfederation?

Answer 1

Our nation’s first constitution and first national government

(final approval-1781)

Question 2

Why was the Articles of Confederation created?

Answer 2

When the Revolutionary war started, each state was like a country, so the Founders wanted a national government to unify the states

Richard Henery Lee proposed a national government

Question 3

Articles of Confederation

Problems the Founders Faced:

Answer 3

• People’s fear of strong national government because of the British
• fear that some states would have more power in the national government than other states

Question 4

Aritcles of Confederation

Solution to the Problems/How the Articles are organized

Answer 4

• The national government had very little power while the states had a lot of power (only legislature; Congress)
• Each state had 1 vote and in important matters like declaring war 9 states would have to agree so the 7 smaller states couldn’t out vote 6 bigger states

Question 5

Issues that the Articles led to:

Answer 5

Shay’s Rebellion and the Economic Crisis of the 1780s

Question 6

Achievments Under the Articles of Confederation:

Answer 6

• successfully won the war for independence
• negotiated Treaty of Paris
• passed Northwest Ordinance (forbade slavery in the north)
• provided that each state reconginze the laws of other states

Question 7

Problems under the Articels of Confederation:

Answer 7

• Congress didn’t have any money or the power to raise money
• Couldn’t control trade (among states and countries)
• Couldn’t enforce laws that were made
• Citizens felt that their property rights were threatened.

Question 8

What was Shay’s Rebellion the result of, and what resulted from it?

Answer 8

• Was one of the bad results/issues of the Articles of Confederation
• Led to the Philadelphia Convention and eventually the Constitution

Question 9

What was Shay’s Rebellion?

Answer 9

In 1786, Americans were in financial trouble (because trade couldn’t be controlled), so to keep the state from taking their farms, Daniel Shays and local farmers began to close down courts, and in Jan. 1787 they rebelled to raid the federal arsenal for weapons

Question 10

How is the Northwest Ordinance important?

Answer 10

Most important law passed under the Articles of Confederation

Question 11

What was the Northwest Ordinace?

Answer 11

Northwest lands (new territories) had the right to organize their own government, forbade slavery, western settlers guaranteed freedom of worship, trial by jury and due process of law, provided public education