Articles of Confederation

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Why were the Articles of Confederation so weak?

AoC writers disliked… So under the AoC…

Taxation without representation

The federal government could not tax

A large central government that had absolute power

States didn’t have to follow federal laws and treaties

Having to follow British legislation

States had their own laws and didn’t have to follow

other states’ lawsLots of power was in the

king’s handsNo executive branch or national court system

The king could change laws at any time

Any amendment required all 13 states’ approval

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What was the Problem?• Since the federal government could not

tax, it was very difficult to raise money• Since states didn’t have to follow laws and

treaties, the federal government had no assurance that individual states would follow them

• Each state had its own laws, which made it difficult for the country to act in a united way. Congress couldn’t pay back debts from the revolution and couldn’t get states to work together to encourage commerce.

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What was the Problem?

• Since there was no executive branch, the government could not defend its borders.

• Since there was no executive branch and national court system, the government could not enforce its laws

• Any amendment required all 13 states’ approval, so the AoC was very difficult to modify

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After the ReadingsSourcing•Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence. Do you think he wanted to see America form a strong central government? Why or why not?Contextualization•According to Jefferson, have the colonies been peaceful or chaotic? Support your answer with evidence from the document.•Jefferson thinks the people at the Constitutional Convention are overreacting to Shays’ Rebellion. What does he worry they might do as they write the new Constitution? (Note: this answer is not in the document; you need to think).Close Reading•What does Jefferson mean when he says, “The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants?” Corroboration•How does this document challenge or expand the information you read in the textbook?