2.3 Cool Down: Articles of Confederation

How did citizens set up governments as they transitioned from colonies to states?

• There was no immediate need for government as everyone was unified and peaceful after the Am Rev. A bill of rights was established to guarantee basic freedoms. Land and business owners were responsible for creating/enforcing laws.

• Each state had a constitution and a bill of rights to guarantee basic freedoms. The general of the state's militia acted as a governor and each state had 2 delegates serve on the Continental Congress.

• Each state set up its own constitution. Most had a bicameral legislature, a governor, state courts, and some sort of bill of rights guaranteeing basic freedoms

Why were the Articles of Confederation necessary for the new nation?

• the colonies needed a united government so they could increase the size of their new nation

• the colonies needed a united government to raise revenue for a national army and fight for independence

• the colonies needed a united government to claim them so they no longer would belong to Great Britain

How was the Confederation Congress composed?

• It was a one-house legislature, where each state had one vote

• It was a bicameral legislature, where each state had equal votes in one house and representation based on population in the other house

• It was a one-house legislature with 56 members, where each state's representation depended on population

What powers did the Confederate Congress have?

• controlled trade regulations and established a national bank

• power to tax, declare war, and print money

• controlled the army and dealt with foreign govts

Under the Articles of Confederation, on whom did the Confederation Congress have to depend to enforce its laws?

• national army

• state govts

• the executive branch

Why was it difficult to pass laws under the Articles of Confederation?

• strict voting rules and 9/13 states had to approve

• passing laws required a unanimouse vote from all states

• the state governors did not agree with the confederation's president

What is the significance of Shays’s Rebellion?

• proved the federal govt was too weak when help was needed to back state govts

• the rebellion's success forced the federal govt to pay what was owed to soldiers who served in the Continental Army during the Am Revolution

• proved that the federal govt could not exist unless the governed gave consent

Match the following definitions with the correct terms

• bicameral

• to vote approval of 

• constitution

• a group of individuals or state govts

• confederation

• a detailed, written plan for govt

• ratify

• a legislature consisting of two parts, or houses

Match the following definitions with the correct terms

• Norhtwest Ordinance

• a law that set up a plan for surveying western lands

• Shays's Rebellion

• the first constitution of the United States of America

• ordinance of 1785

• uprising of Mass. farmers who did not want to lose their farms because of debt caused by heavy state taxes after the Am Rev

• Articles of Confederation

• 1787 law that set up a govt for the NW Territory and a plan for admitting new states to the Union