Transcript Our First Constitution: The Articles of Confederation

Our First Constitution:
The Articles
of
Confederation
Placard 1.3 A
A: No Chief Executive
Why Included? Problem?
•Lack of leadership in
CENTRAL
GOVERNMENT
•No single leader
Did not want
another
powerful
executive like •DISUNITY
KING
GEORGE
Placard 1.3B
B: Laws Needed 9/13 to
be Approved
Why Included? Problem?
•To protect
individual states’
rights power.
•Fear of strong
central
government
•Difficult to get 9
states to agree
on new laws
•Central/national
/federal govt.
had little power
Placard 1.3 C
C: Congress had no power to
tax citizens. It could only
request money from states
Why Included? Problem?
• Fear
of being
Unfairly taxed, •States could
choose
to
pay
like before
•Govt.
had
no
revolution
money to operate
Placard 1.3D
D: Congress had no power to draft
an army.
Why Included? Problem?
•Fear of central
Government
with strong
army that may
take away
citizens’ rights.
•Left the
country
vulnerable
without a
dependable
military force
Placard 1.3E
E: No National Court System
Why Included? Problem?
•Fear that the
•States could
central govt. with be biased
a court system
•Unfair trials in
that may be
unfair to STATES one states
RIGHTS
court
Placard 1.3F
F: Amendments/ Changes had to
be approved by all 13 states
Why Included? Problem?
Wanted states
to have equal
power in
shaping govt.
• Impossible to make
changes
•Any one state could
stop an amendment
that other states
wanted
Placard 1.3G
G. Congress could not collect state
debts owed to federal government
Why Included? Problem?
•Fear that
central govt.
could force
states to pay
for things they
didn’t want
•Federal
government had
no money to
operate
Placard 1.3H
H: Congress had no power to settle
disputes
Why Included? Problem?
Wanted states
to have
ultimate
authority to
settle
disputes
•Disputes
were often
unresolved
•DISUNITY