Unit 3-A (Articles of Confederation) Flashcards
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Government under the Articles of Confederation
one branch- Confederation Congress
one house of congress
each state had one vote
federalism
division of power between federal and state govt.
know the layer cake diagram
yes
What were the Articles of Confederation
document detailing framework for the 1st federal govt. of the U.S.
1st U.S. constitution
what is another word for the national govt?
federal/central government
what does ratification mean
official approval
what two important events occurred after the Articles of Confederation were ratified
U.S. won the Revolutionary War
Treaty of Paris of 1783
who had more authority during the Confederation era: the federal government or the states
states
List the four powers of the national government under the Articles:
Declare war against other countries
sign peace treaties with other countries
coin and borrow money
operate post offices (mail)
What was the Articles of Confederation’s greatest weakness
it allowed states to have sovereignty
states acted like 13 separate nations
What does sovereignty mean?
(supreme power)
authority
Was there a United States army during the Confederation era? _______ What would happen if the U.S. needed an army?
No
they would have to request states to send men for military services
Could the national government tax its citizens? _______ What could the Confederation Congress do if it needed tax money?
they could request tax money from the states
If one state argued with another state, could the national government settle the problem?
No/no federal courts
When it came to foreign trade, what could each state do?
set its own regulations + laws
.Interstate commerce is trade ________________ states and the Confederation Congress ________________ regulate it.
between
could not
Was there a chief executive? _______ What types of problems might this cause? _
No
national govt couldn’t enforce its laws
Was there a national court system? _______ What types of problems might this cause?
national govt. had no system to
judge laws
judge those who broke the laws
settle problems between states
- When it came to money, what were the states allowed to do?What types of problems might this cause?
coin and print their own money
-they could require its use in their state
-they could charge fees to convert money
What economic problems did the new nation face?
govt. owed 42 million dollars after American Reovultion (mostly owed to American Patriots)
govt. had no power to tax to pay debt
What was the purpose of the Land Ordinance of 1785?
gave control of the land between the Appalachians and Mississippi River to the federal govt. so they could sell it to pay off debt
What territory was created by the Northwest Ordinance?
What were the boundaries of this territory (see map)
Northwest Territory
North (Great Lakes)
East(Appalachian’s)
West (Mississippi River)
South (Ohio River)
How did the Northwest Ordinance affect the future growth of the nation?
created orderly pattern for future westward growth of the U.S.
How many people would need to live in a territory before they could apply to be a state?
60,000 people
What did the Northwest Ordinance say about slavery?
banned slavery in the Northwest Territory
How did the state of Massachusetts pay its war debt?
collected taxes on land
Who was hurt by Massachusetts taxation policy?
farmers who owned land
What did Shays’ Rebellion show about the federal government during the Confederation era?
showed weakness of federal govt. and how bad Articles of Confederation were
showed that the govt. didn’t have power or authority to stop rebellion
3 causes for shays’ rebellion
- Massachusetts farmers fell deep in debt due to the high taxes
-anyone who couldn’t pay his debts would have his property auctioned off
-legislature refused to provide debt relief.
3 effects of Shays’ rebellion
won the sympathy of many people
American leaders realized that the armed uprising of farmers spelled danger for the nation
leaders hoped the nation’s ill would be solved by strengthening the national govt.
know the Shays’ rebellion
yes
