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End of the war...What comes next? Articles of Confederation!

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End of the war...What comes next? Articles of Confederation!

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After the 13 colonies defeated the British crown in the Revolutionary War, the Continental Congress adopted the Articles of Confederation as their first constitution. Fearful of the monarchial government they had just detached from, the Articles of Confederation made the central government very weak and reserved almost all the power to the individual states. Although the Articles of Confederation were ratified (approved) by all 13 colonies, important leaders such as George Washington and James Madison were skeptical that it would work.

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Challenges of the Articles of Confederation-Heimler's History

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Shays' Rebellion and the downfall of the Articles of Confederation: 

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Shays' Rebellion and the downfall of the Articles of Confederation: 

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In 1786, a Massachusetts farmer named Dan Shays led roughly 1,200 farmers from across the 13 colonies in an armed rebellion against high state taxes and poor economic conditions. This rebellion was significant to the Founding Fathers because it exposed the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation. It gave the central government almost no power to stop the uprising! The five main weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation were:

1.) There was no Executive branch (president) or Judicial branch (supreme court). All central power was given to the legislative branch.

2.) To make any changes to the Articles of Confederation, all 13 colonies had to agree.

3.) There was no federal army. This means that the federal government had no power to threats like Shays' Rebellion quickly.

4.) The federal government had no power to levy taxes, so it had no source of funding.

5.) The federal government had no power to regulate interstate commerce, meaning that it didn't have power to solve disputes between states.

Watch the short video to learn more!

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Challenges of the Articles of Confederation [AP Government Review, Unit 1 Topic 4]

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The convening of the Constitutional Convention:

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The convening of the Constitutional Convention:

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With the failures of the Articles of Confederation, delegates gathered in Philadelphia, PA to try and fix it. However, they ended up creating a new system of government entirely, the one we know today. This group of delegates became known as the Constitutional Convention, and they met from May to September of 1787. The delegates had many disagreements throughout this time and negotiated several plans to settle their different interests. The main negotiations were:

1.) Virginia Plan: Proposed a strong central government with three branches, the legislative, executive, and judicial. Also proposed a two-house (bicameral) legislative branch.

2.) New Jersey Plan: Proposed a one-house legislative branch (unicameral) with equal representation, not population-based representation.

2.) The Great Compromise: This compromise amended the Virginia and New Jersey Plan. It created a House of Representatives based on population, and the Senate with equal representation for every state.

4.) 3/5 Compromise: This compromise was created to amend the issue of slavery. This compromise states that three out of every five slaves would be counted in the population when determining how much representation a state would get and how much in taxes they would pay.

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Constitution of the United States, Preamble and Article One 

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There are seven articles to the US Constitution. They follow the Preamble. The seven articles outline the structure of the federal government and its relation to the states.

Article One is about the Legislative Branch

Article Two is about the Executive Branch

Article Three is about the Judicial Branch

Article Four is about the states, citizenship, and creation of new states

Article Five is about amending the Constitution

Article Six establishes the Constitution as the supreme law of the land and binds all elected members of Congress to uphold and defend it.

Article Seven states that nine of the original 13 states were needed to ratify it.

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The Bill of Rights consists of the first ten amendments to the Constitution. The Bill of Rights was created to protect the rights of American citizens and limit the power of the federal government. Since the initial passage of the Bill of Rights, there have been 17 more additional amendments added to the Constitution.

The Bill of Rights includes:

Amendment 1: Freedom of speech, press, religion, assembly and petition

Amendment 2: Right to bear arms

Amendment 3: Protection against quartering of soldiers

Amendment 4: Protection against unreasonable search and seizure

Amendment 5: Protection against double jeopardy, self-incrimination and protection for life, liberty, and property according to due process.

Amendment 6: Rights of a person accused of a crime

Amendment 7: Rights of a person in civil cases of law

Amendment 8: Protections against excessive bail, excessive fines, and cruel and unusual punishment

Amendment 9: Protection of rights not explicitly stated in the constitution

Amendment 10: All powers not reserved to the federal government are reserved for the states

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So, what makes a document created in the 1780s important today? Many scholars refer to the document as being a "living constitution." This is because even though its roots are over 200 years old, it continues to shape our government and continues to hold space for change. The framers of the Constitution built-in the ability for it to be adjusted as times changed and new needs of the American people arose. In addition, the Constitution continues to protect the rights and freedoms of Americans today. Without the Constitution, we would have no government to stand on.

If you could create a 28th amendment, what would you propose? Leave a comment below!

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The Preamble to the Constitution is the introductory paragraph stating the purpose and goals of the document. The Preamble begins with the words, "We The People" to emphasize that the United States government is one created by the people for the people. Other key phrases of the preamble outline goals such as:

1.) Provide for the common defense

2.) Promote the general welfare

3.) Secure the blessings of liberty

Listen to this catchy song to help you memorize the words of the preamble!

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Schoolhouse Rock   America Rock   The Preamble