Unit 3: Historical Development of the Constitution - Articles of Confederation

Unit Essential Question:

How did the strengths and weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation lead to the development of the U.S. Constitution?

Lesson Essential Question:

Why was the government under the Articles of Confederation unable to resolve the issues of the new nation?

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Articles of Confederation: Our FIRST Constitution

Anticipation Guide
Directions: If you believe the statement to be true, please write T in the box. If you believe the statement is false, please
write F in the box. After we complete the lesson, you will do the activity again using your newly acquired knowledge.
Before Statement on Articles of Confederation After
Lesson Lesson

The Articles of Confederation created a President to lead the country.

States were still independent under the Articles.

The Articles were easy to change if there was a problem with a law.

Under the Articles of Confederation, the more people a state had, the more votes
it got in Congress.

The Congress created by the Articles did not have the power to collect taxes.

Under the Articles, states had to obey the laws Congress passed.

The Articles of Confederation created the first American government.

When planning for the Constitution, everybody agreed the federal government
should have more power.

Some people were afraid states might lose their independence if the
federal government was stronger.

Different states had different needs for government to meet.

The states all got along with each other.

The government created by the Articles of Confederation had everything

under control among the states.
 Analogy to the Articles of Confederation

DIRECTIONS: There is a difference between “good” leadership…and “effective” leadership. Leadership can be “good”
based on the effort. However, “effective” leadership is based on effort…and RESULTS. Below are a few “What if”
scenarios about Saint Margaret Mary. After reading each scenario, decide whether or not SMM would run “effectively”
by writing YES or NO. Then under “Why?” Explain your reasoning.

WOULD SMM RUN EFFECTIVELY IF…

YES/NO? WHY?

There was NO Principal or Assistant

Principals?

Teachers could not require you to bring

in writing utensils, they could only ask?

Administrators let teachers decide

disciplinary action for rule-breaking?

The school relied on donations instead of

taxes for funding?

Changes to the school rules could not be

made unless 100% of the staff agreed to it?

Finish the sentence below!

 Articles of Confederation: An overview of the first government of the United
States of America
When the American War for Independence ended, no one was happier than a serious Virginia Patriot named
James Madison. And no one was more worried about the future of the United States. While serving in Congress
during the war, Madison had tried and failed to get the states to work easily together. He doubted that things would
improve now that the war was over.
After declaring independence in 1776, Congress had tried to unite the states under one national
government. This proved to be a difficult task. Most members of Congress were nervous about creating a strong
federal government. They’d lived for years under British rule, and they had lots of complaints. Now they would
create a government from scratch, and they had a few requirements. Every state agreed that the U.S. government
should be a republic, a government in which the citizens rule through elected representatives. The states had
difficulty agreeing on the organization and the powers of their new republic.
Their solution was a plan of government known as the Articles of Confederation. The Articles created “a
firm league of friendship” in which “each state retains its sovereignty, freedom, and independence.” Basically, each
state acted like a country. This “league of friendship” was a loose union in which the 13 states cooperated for
common purposes. It was run by Congress, in which each state had one vote. Congress was a legislature, it could
make laws. There was no president; there was no federal court system.
On paper, the Articles of Confederation gave Congress several important powers. It could declare war, raise
an army and navy, print money, sign treaties with other countries, and set up a postal system. In reality, however,
these powers were limited by the inability of Congress to impose taxes. Instead, Congress had to ask the states for
funds to do anything. All too often, the states ignored Congress’s “humble requests.” The result, said Madison, was
that the Articles were no more effective at binding the states into a nation than “a rope of sand.”
With thirteen different states, there was no easy solution. Here’s why:
• States had different needs. For example, some states depended on fishing, while others mostly grew crops.
• States had different sizes. Some states had many people; others had few.
• People had different opinions. Some people feared a central government, while others thought a central
government was necessary.
That last one was especially troublesome. Many people feared they would lose their freedom if a central
government had too much power. Others were tired of the weak government created under the Articles of
Confederation and felt like nothing would ever get done if nobody was in charge.

Questions
1. Why did colonists fear creating a federal government that was too strong? ____________________________________
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2. What type of government did all states agree that the U.S. should have? _____________________________________
3. What did Congress create as a solution to their fears? ____________________________________________________
4. Go back in to the text and underline the powers of Congress in the Articles of Confederation. Why were all of these
powers limited? Explain. _____________________________________________________________________________
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 Accomplishments of the AoC
Developing Western Lands
Congress did get the states to agree on one important issue: how to develop the western lands acquired in the
Treaty of Paris. At that time, there was no orderly way to divide up and sell these lands. Settlers walked into the
wilderness and claimed the land they liked. Disputes over who owned what clogged the courts.
To end this confusion, Congress passed the Land Ordinance of 1785. Under this law, western lands were
divided into six-mile squares called townships. Each township was then divided into 36 sections of 640 acres each.
One section of each township was set aside to support the township’s public schools. The other sections were to be
sold to settlers.

(Northwest Territory was all land in yellow)

Surveyors proceeded to lay out townships in the Ohio Valley, then known as the Northwest Territory. By
1787, the government was ready to sell sections to settlers. This raised the question of how these areas should be
governed. Were they to be U.S. colonies or new states?
The Northwest Ordinance
Congress answered this question in the Northwest Ordinance of 1787. This law divided the Northwest
Territory into smaller territories, each governed by a territorial governor. As soon as a territory had 5,000 free adult
males, it could elect its own legislature, or lawmaking body. When the population reached 60,000, a territory could
apply to Congress to become a state.
The Northwest Ordinance included a list of rights that gave settlers the same privileges as other citizens,
except for one. Slavery was banned in the Northwest Territory.
This system of settlement served the nation well. Over time, the United States would continue to establish
territories as it spread to the shores of the Pacific Ocean and beyond.

Questions
1. What issue did the Land Ordinance of 1785 address?
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2. Why do you think the government wanted to sell the land instead of just letting people claim it?
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3. In the spaces provided, complete the list of rules for the Northwest Territory that were set by the Northwest Ordinance
1. When a territory had 5,000 free adult males living on it, it can elect its own legislature. 2.
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Settles have the same rights and privileges as people that live in the 13 United States. 4.
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 The Weaknesses of the AoC
There was no Chief Executive (no president). Many people feared that having one person at the center of a federal
government would result in a king, or absolute monarchy, which they already had in Great Britain.
1. What problem that might occur by not having one person at the center of the government?
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Congress needed the approval of all of the 13 states for amendments (changes) to go into effect. Many people wanted
to protect the power of individual states. They feared a strong federal government.
2. What problem might occur by requiring 100% of the states to approve amendments (changes) to laws?
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Congress did not have the power to tax citizens. It could only request tax money from states. People already lived
under a government that taxed them. People were fine with state taxes that went to their individual state but struggled to
see the necessity of paying more taxes to a federal government.
3. What problems might occur when a federal government can’t collect taxes? (debt? military?
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Congress did not have the power to draft an army. It could only request states to send men for military service.
People feared that a strong federal government with a strong military could take away their rights unfairly. 4. What
problem might occur when a federal government can’t put together its own army?
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Congress did not have the power to settle disputes among states. There was no federal court system. People feared
that if there was a federal court system, then it might favor the rights of some states over others. 5. What problem might
occur when states disagree over boundaries or tax each other different rates?
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Questions
1. In your opinion, which weakness was the worst weakness of the Articles of Confederation for the United
States? Explain.
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2. Referring to your prior reading on page 2, why didn’t all the states get along? If all states don’t get along,
what might it be difficult for the government under the Articles of Confederation to do?
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