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What are the Articles of Confederation?

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Articles of Confederation

February 26, 2021

The American Republic -

New State Governments

Throughout the revolution, many states were writing new constitutions

Representative government

Rule of law

Limits on government power

Individual liberties

Each new government had 3 branches

Legislative made laws

Judicial interpreted laws

Executive governors, carried out laws

States chose to limit governors power

Elected legislatures� had more power

Republicanism

Citizens wanted a republic, or a political system without a monarch

Ruled “with the consent of the governed”

Some of the most important ideas of republicanism are that:

• Liberty and "unalienable" rights (natural rights) are some of the most important things in a society
• Government should exist to protect these rights
• The people who live in a country, as a whole, should be sovereign (they should be able to choose who leads them and have a say in how their government is run)
• Power must always be given by the people, never inherited (like in a monarchy)
• People must all play a role in their government by doing things like voting
• Political corruption is terrible and has no place in a republic

No country had this type of government at the time

Ideal: hard-working, property-owning citizens were active in government

Women, African�Americans, Natives, �and poor seldom took�part in the government

Republican Motherhood

War shifted women’s roles

During, women managed farms & � businesses

Some fought, defended home with axes and muskets

Became politically active - � boycotts

Women could educate children in civic virtues and responsibilities

Encouraged mothers to raise:

Sons to be patriotic� future leaders

Daughters to be �intelligent, patriotic, �and competent

Young women to be educated in reasoning, not solely household skills

Boys and girls given different educations

“How is the one exalted, and the other depressed, by the contrary modes of education which are adopted! The one is taught to aspire, and the other is early confined and limited. As their years increase, the sister must �be wholly domesticated, while the brother is led �by the hand through all the flowery paths of �Science.” —Judith Sargent Murray, quoted in Founding Mothers

Democracy

• Started in Athens, Greece (5^th c. BC)
• No one to represent them, all had a voice
• Debates
• Replaced by representative form
• 3 types:
• Direct - each qualified individual shape policy by voting
• Representative - certain individuals are elected to represent the will of the people
• Constitutional - constitutions or other governing documents that help regulate power of those elected to office

Republic

• Comes from the Greek “politeia” or ‘rights of citizens’
• Power rests with a nation’s citizens
• Rely on a representational form of government
• Head of state is elected

SO, it’s a form of government where the power

• Rests with the people
• Is exercised through representative government
• Has an elected head of state

Types: Constitutional, Parliamentary, Presidential, Federal, Theocratic

I’m still confused.

• Republics and democracies both provide a political system in which citizens are represented by elected officials who are sworn to protect their interests.
• In a pure democracy, laws are made directly by the voting majority leaving the rights of the minority largely unprotected.
• In a republic, laws are made by representatives chosen by the people and must comply with a constitution that specifically protects the rights of the minority from the will of the majority.
• The United States, while basically a republic, is best described as a “representative democracy.”

The Articles of Confederation

Committee working on a plan of union, 1776

John Dickinson (Pennsylvania) led committee

Wrote plan for new government

Once hoped for peace with Britain

Articles of Confederation

First national constitution

Confederation association of independent, sovereign states with certain common goals

Formally adopted November 1777

States needed to ratify document, took time (disputes over western land)

Powers of the new Government

March 1781: Articles of Confederation is official

Weak national government, �states held most of their �previous power

Only one branch of government: Continental Congress (legislative body)

Each state: 1 vote, regardless of population

Congress could:

Establish national policies

Conduct foreign relations �(including with Native groups)

Borrow and coin money

Set up post offices

Establish an army

Declare war

Financial Problems

9 of 13 states had to agree on a law

All needed to amend the Articles

Could not impose or collect taxes

Asked for money, got ⅙ of what was needed

Couldn’t support a navy or � army

Couldn’t repay borrowed �money - some soldiers went unpaid

1781: department of finance led by Robert Morris and Haym Salomon

Salomon loaned thousands to� government and government leaders

Morris wanted stronger national government

Wanted to amend Articles to allow congress putting a 5% tax on�imports