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?

Did not want another powerful executive like KING GEORGE

•Lack of leadership in CENTRAL GOVERNMENT•No single leader

•DISUNITY

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, like before revolution

•States could choose to pay

•Govt. had no 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 central govt. with a court system that may be unfair to STATES RIGHTS

•States could be biased

•Unfair trials in one states 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