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Topic 2: The Articles of the Confederation�Sections 3

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Slide 2

Chapter 2, Section 3

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Articles of Confederation

The Second Continental Congress had to create an official national government.

So they created the Articles of Confederation in 1777, but they were not ratified until 1781 because they needed all 13 states to ratify.

The Articles created a single unit of government, the Congress.

Congress was unicameral (one house) in structure, with each states electing its delegates each year.
Each state delegation had one vote in Congress.

Slide 3

Chapter 2, Section 3

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Articles of Confederation

Slide 4

Chapter 2, Section 3

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Weakness of the Articles

Slide 5

Chapter 2, Section 3

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Problems with the Articles

After the Revolutionary War, states stopped cooperating with each other and the national government.�Why the Articles of Confederation Failed (3 min)

They refused to supply troops or money.

Some made their own treaties with other nations.

Most raised their own military forces.

They taxed goods from other states and banned trade with some states.

They printed their own money.

Slide 6

Chapter 2, Section 3

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Problem with the Articles, cont.

Economies of many states struggled as a result of all the bickering and poor planning.

Much of the newly printed money was worth very little. Prices soared and loans became hard to get.
Many people fell into debt.

The economic crisis led to Shays’ Rebellion in Massachusetts.

Indebted farmers and other small property owners lost land and possessions when they could not pay their debts or their state taxes.

Slide 7

Chapter 2, Section 3

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Constitutional Convention

We need a stronger national government!!!

The Philadelphia meeting, held in 1787 to revise the Articles of Confederation,
Turned into the Constitutional Convention.
Instead of revising the Articles, it would replace them with something new – The Constitution

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