Articles of Confederation (Topic 3.7) Flashcards
Articles of Confederation
A document written during the Second Continental Congress to form a central government between the 13 colonies
How many states each wrote new Constitutions?
Ten
Two sides to writing the Constitution
Conservatives: concerned for law and order
Liberals: centered around individual rights
What were the common features in each Constitution?
List of Rights: right to a jury trial/religious freedom
Separation of Powers: government was divided into 3 branches
Voting: only white men who owned property could vote
Office-holding: only run if you had higher property qualifications than voters
Why were the Articles delayed during ratification?
There was a dispute between American Indian land ownership; once settled they were ratified
What kinds of government was under the Articles of Confederation?
A central government with one Congress (unicameral); they could wage wars, make treaties, send representatives, and borrow money; not power to collect taxes or reguate commerce
How durable was the government?
It was weak
Land Ordinance of 1785
A policy that set aside one square-mile of land in every 36 square-mile townships for education in the Western lands
Northwestern Ordinance of 1787
For large territory between the Great Lakes and Ohio River, there was limited self-governance in the territory and the prohibition of slavery
Weaknesses of the Articles
- European nations had little respect for the U.S due to their incapability of accomplishing statements in the treaty or defending themselves in crisis
- No taxing powers meant no money available for national needs
- 13 colonies rivaled in economic competition; tariffs on goods that crossed state liness
Shay’s Rebellion
Farmer Shay led an uprising against unjustifiable rulings such as high state taxes, imprisonment for debt, and lack of paper money; in attempt to seize weapons Shay’s rebellion broke
