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The Articles of Confederation. Recap of Yesterday’s Lesson. Three Main Ideas There were rules: Magna Carta, Petition of Right, English Bill of Rights Those rules were broken: Stamp Act, Intolerable Acts We were forced to make new rules. Declaration of Independence, Virginia Bill of Rights.
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Recap of Yesterday’s Lesson • Three Main Ideas • There were rules: • Magna Carta, Petition of Right, English Bill of Rights • Those rules were broken: • Stamp Act, Intolerable Acts • We were forced to make new rules. • Declaration of Independence, Virginia Bill of Rights
Colonies Become States • States are sovereign • Have boundaries • Have governments • Have people who follow the rules of their government • Are legitimized by other sovereign states
States Unite • Articles of Confederation proposed in 1777 • A “League of Friendship” • Ratified by all 13 states in 1781 • Shows that the states desired unity
Under the Articles • The states were wary of a central government • Worked hard to limit Congress’s power • Congress could: • Borrow or request money • Declare war and peace • Maintain an army and navy • Make treaties and alliances • Regulate Indian Affairs • Establish post offices • Decide disputes between states
Under the Articles • Congress could NOT: • Levy or collect taxes • Require states to provide money • Regulate trade • Amend the Articles without ALL 13 states • Establish an executive branch • Establish a national court system • FORCE ANYONE TO ABIDE BY THE LAW
Under the Articles • States could: • Enforce or impede national government policy • Control state militias • Withhold or grant money to the government • Veto amendments to the Articles • Regulate foreign and interstate commerce
Problems • States often disagreed • Courts were in conflict • States refused to trade with one another • Boundary lines • States placed heavy tariffs on each other • Example: New Jersey had to pay a fee to sell their vegetables in New York • Each state had a different currency • Debts began to pile up • Homes were foreclosed
Shays’s Rebellion • Economic turmoil leads to rebellion • Daniel Shays leads 1200 men to the Massachusetts Supreme Court • Lack of currency prevents debts from being paid • Courts foreclose on homes, farms, and businesses • Shays forces the courts to shut down in order to stop foreclosures • Uprisings and rebellions convince leaders that a stronger central government is needed
Review • States desired unity, but were afraid of a strong central government • The Articles of Confederation gave the states much power, but limited Congress • Lack of authority led to many conflicts • Shays’ Rebellion convinced the states that a higher authority was needed