AP US: The Articles of Confederation (1781-1789)
Articles of Confederation
- just before the end of the war, the Articles were approved, and a new government was formed
- time span: end of Revolutionary War until the Constitution
- life is tough under the Articles
- central government doesn't have much power
- confederal form of government
- independent states have all the power
- central government has very limited power
- Weaknesses of Articles
- unicameral Congress
- every state has one vote (9 out of 13 votes are needed to pass a law, which is not a simple majority)
- often, didn't have 9 states present, so nothing could be done
- to amend the Articles, all 13 must agree
- could not tax or raise armies
- government has two functions: protect and serve
- without an army, it can't protect
- without money, it can't serve
- government has two functions: protect and serve
- no executive or judicial branches
- no national power - rely on states' executives to enforce laws
- no national judiciary - rely on states to interpret laws
- unicameral Congress
State Constitutions
- Republicanism - a representative democracy
- all had governors; most were very strong and could veto
- most had bicameral legislatures
- property generally required for voting
- but, some had universal white male suffrage
- they are beginning to move away from religious, property, and other restrictions on suffrage - so long as the voters are white males
- most had bills of rights - but there's no bill of rights in the Articles
- Many continued state-established religions
- but slowly begin to de-establish religion
- move towards religious toleration
- want to maintain what they had prior to the Revolution
- many good ideas, but fear a national-level government that is too strong
- they had just fought a war to get away from overly-powerful government
- they give the states authority instead
Troubles with the Articles
- the US is now a nation, so they must have a foreign policy
- must deal with Britain, France, Spain, pirates, etc.
- Territorial conflicts
- Northwest Territory
- Michigan, Ohio, and the midwest
- states have claims in these areas, but they will need to give up these claims for the Articles to work
- this also applies to contested land in the far South, and west of the Appalachians
- Spain
- wants the Mississippi Territory (future state of Mississippi)
- owns New Orleans
- all trade on the Mississippi River has to go through New Orleans
- won't give right of deposit, so goods must be unloaded, taxed, and then reloaded to be shipped out
- Northwest Territory
- Terrible Economy
- situation becomes bad enough that some states threaten secession
- traders want federal government to fix the economy, but they have no power and are thus unable to do so
- Spain restricts trade through New Orleans and the Mississippi River
- Barbary Coast Pirates, Tripoli
- try to do trade in the Mediterranean, but are attacked by pirates
- don't have a navy to be able to do anything
- so, the merchants have to pay the requested tribute
- thus, a "sovereign nation" is held hostage, for tribute, by pirates
- Foreign Policy
- France
- an ally, therefore friendly
- loaned $8 million to the US, and they want it back
- however, the US doesn't have this money, and they can't tax to get it
- France becomes less friendly
- Britain
- said that the US could have land west of the Appalachian Mountains
- but, they wouldn't leave - troops remain in their forts
- stops US trade with their Caribbean islands
- supply weapons to the Indians in the Northwest Territory to harass the colonists
- claim that the US didn't fulfil the Treaty of Paris
- they say that they didn't give taken land back to the Loyalists, and they haven't paid debts to British merchants
- however, the letter of the treaty only specified that the government would try, not actually do it
- France
Accomplishments under the Articles
- Land Ordinance of 1785
- divides land in Northwest Territory, now the Articles government can sell it to make money
- PLSS (Public Land Survey System) divides land into 6 square mile townships, which are measured from base lines; each township is divided into 36 Sectors
- income from Section 16 is reserved for educational funding
- divides land in Northwest Territory, now the Articles government can sell it to make money
- Northwest Ordinance of 1787
- one of the major accomplishments of the Confederation Congress
- lays out a permanent path to statehood
- intent is to develop way of dealing with the Northwest Territory
- plan for 5, end up creating 6, new states
- Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota
- precedent for statehood process
- first, you're a territory, with an appointed governor and 4 judges to govern the territory
- when the population reaches 5000 adult male landowners, a territorial legislature is elected
- when there are 60,000 citizens, delegates are elected to a state constitutional convention; if Congress approves, you become a state on equal footing with all other states
- banned slavery
The Economy under the Articles
- the US emerges from the war as a free, independent nation, with severe economic problems
- Manufacturing
- need a manufacturing sector to be able to grow
- but, would have to compete with Britain and others
- will be hard to start, and will take a long time
- Britain floods open US market with cheaper goods
- so, manufacturing is down
- Infrastructure
- highways, bridges, roads, etc.
- there is, effectively, none - what little there is, is inadequate for commerce and trade
- needs to be improved, but there's no money
- Inflation
- no uniform currency in the US (gives rise to phrase "not worth a continental")
- arbitrary values are placed on money by local, state, and private banks
- prices rise
- Interstate Trade
- state trade regulations and value of money hinder trade
- no central control of the trade - government can do nothing
- nations enters massive depression
- nothing can be done by central government, so individual states try to solve their own problems
- heavy taxes on citizens (ex. Massachusetts has a 30% tax on farmers
- many farmers lose jobs, or go to debtors' prison
- farmers in Massachusetts organise a petition
- "Stay Laws" - maintain status quo and keep them out of prison
- issue more money
- the petition is rejected
- legislature actually takes money out of circulation to lower inflation and enhance public's confidence, but deflation occurs instead
- heavy taxes on citizens (ex. Massachusetts has a 30% tax on farmers
- Shay's Rebellion (1786-1787)
- led by Daniel Shays
- decide to shut down the courts - then the state can't issue orders to tax, foreclose, etc.
- Western Massachusetts
- met by large militia, but they still manage to shut down the courts
- stopped and arrested near Springfield
- sends a chilling message to the nation - other states have financial difficulties, too
- central government could do nothing - this lack of power is now a serious problem: nation is in danger of collapse
Annapolis Convention (1786)
- in 1785, there had been the Alexandria Conference
- Virginia and Maryland delegates had met to discuss ways to improve navigation and commerce on the Potomac River
- decide it's a national problem, and call the Annapolis Convention
- 12 representatives from 5 states (NY, NJ, PA, DE, VA)
- their goal is to address barriers that limited trade and commerce between states
- not enough states were represented to make any real progress
- Hamilton and Madison decide to invite other states to a national congress to revise the Articles to create a stronger nation
- so, they call for a meeting in Philadelphia, which will create the Constitution.