Transcript The Articles of Confederation

The Articles of Confederation
The Articles: powers to Congress
1. make war and peace (sending/receiving
ambassadors and making treaties),
2. raise an army and navy (build a navy and
raising an army by asking the states for
troops),
3. print money (set up a money system, fix
uniform standards of weights and
measures), and
4. set up a postal system.
Major weaknesses of the Articles of
Confederation:
• No chief executive to enforce the
laws
• No national court system
• Could not collect taxes from individuals
• No National Currency
• No standing army
Failure of the AoC
• Shay’s Rebellion (1787) a group
of Massachusetts farmers, lead
by Daniel Shay, protested the
rising taxes on land. They
attacked a federal court house.
– The revolt convinced many people
that the U.S. needed a stronger
central government to prevent
violence and disorder.
Solutions
• To fix some of the problems with the AoC a
Constitutional Convention was called. At the
convention the delegates threw out the AoC
and created a new document called the
Constitution.
– Constitution: a written plan of government
• A document that outlines the powers and limitations
of government
– Bicameral: a legislature with two houses
The Articles of
Confederation
Vs.
The Constitution
Constitution:
• Provides a written framework for
government.
• A plan or instruction manual of
powers and restrictions for
government
• Limits or restricts certain powers
Articles of
Constitution
Confederation
• The national
• The President
government had
heads the
no chief
executive branch
executive to
of the
carry out laws
government
made by
• President
congress
enforces the
laws.
Articles of
Confederation
 No
national
courts
 State courts
had
jurisdiction
within their
state
Constitution
 Both
national
and state courts
exist.
 Depending on
the case, some
cases fall under
state jurisdiction
and others
under federal.
Articles of
Confederation Constitution
Congress
did not
have the
power to
tax
Congress
is given
the power
to tax
Articles of
Confederation
Constitution
 Common
national
 There was no
currency
national
 Only the
currency
national
 Each state
government
coined its own
has the power
money
to make
money
Great or Connecticut Compromise
Topic: Representation in Congress
Large States:
Small States:
• Virginia Plan
• New Jersey Plan
• Large states
• Small states
wanted
wanted equal
representation representation
by population
The Great Compromise
•Bicameral
legislature
•equal representation =
–Senate
(2 per state)
•proportional
–House
representation =
(population)
(3/5 Compromise)
Three/Fifths Compromise: Population
South
North
• Southern states
wanted slaves to
count in population
counts
– They were more
dependent on
slavery.
• Northern states
did not want
slaves to count
– They were less
dependent on
slavery
3/5ths Compromise
• For the purposes of
representation, five
slaves would be counted
as 3 free people
Commerce and Slave Trade
Compromise
Opposing Sides
Southern States Vs.
Northern States
Each Side’s Position
South: no taxes on tobacco
exports, Congress not to
interfere with slave trade
North: wanted the
Constitution to be signed
Congress could not tax
exports from any state or
interfere with the slave
trade for 20 years.
Compromise
THINK:
• Which of the compromises
would you say is most
important to our
government today?