The Articles of Confederation
Summary
TLDRThis video script recounts the early struggles of the United States under the Articles of Confederation, highlighting the weak central government's inability to enforce laws or collect taxes. It details the drafting process and eventual ratification challenges, emphasizing the document's limitations. The script also discusses the economic turmoil that led to Daniel Shays' Rebellion, underscoring the need for a stronger national government. The narrative culminates in the creation of the U.S. Constitution in 1787, which aimed to address these issues and form the basis of the current U.S. government structure.
Takeaways
- 📜 The United States lacked a formal plan for government after declaring independence in 1776.
- 🏛️ A committee led by John Dickinson drafted a plan for government, which took over a year of debate to finalize.
- 🗞️ The Articles of Confederation, the first constitution, was adopted on November 15, 1777, after much deliberation.
- 🔢 Ratification by all 13 states was required for the Articles of Confederation, a process that took over three and a half years.
- ⚖️ The Articles established a weak central government with a single-chamber Congress, reflecting states' wariness of centralized power.
- 🗳️ Each state had one vote in Congress, ensuring equal representation regardless of population size.
- 💵 Congress had the power to manage foreign relations, issue money, borrow money, establish a post office, and maintain armed forces.
- 🚫 The national government had limited power to enforce laws or collect taxes, leading to significant operational challenges.
- 🛡️ The inability to collect taxes and enforce laws made the national government financially weak and unable to address internal issues effectively.
- 👥 Daniel Shays' Rebellion highlighted the weaknesses of the national government under the Articles of Confederation, prompting a need for change.
Q & A
What was the significance of the first constitution of the United States?
-The first constitution, the Articles of Confederation, was significant as it was the plan for government for the newly independent United States, setting up a weak central government with a single branch congress responsible for handling relations with other countries and declaring war as needed.
Why was there a delay in the adoption of the Articles of Confederation?
-The Articles of Confederation took over a year to be adopted because it required approval by all 13 states, and it was not until Maryland ratified it on March 1, 1781, that the goal was achieved, over three and a half years after it had been proposed.
What was the main concern of the 13 states regarding the central government?
-The 13 states were very nervous about giving power away to a national government, as they were breaking away from Great Britain and the king of England, whom they had called a tyrant. They were not keen on giving any major power to a singular ruler ever again.
How did the Articles of Confederation address the states' concerns about power concentration?
-The Articles of Confederation set up a weak central government with a single branch congress, keeping most of the power with the states, which made them happy but ultimately caused problems for the young country.
What were the powers granted to the congress under the Articles of Confederation?
-Under the Articles of Confederation, congress was granted the power to manage relations with other countries and native American tribes, issue money, borrow money, establish the post office, and maintain the armed forces.
What were the main problems caused by the weak national government established by the Articles of Confederation?
-The main problems included the difficulty in agreeing on new laws, which required agreement by nine of the 13 states, and the inability of congress to enforce laws or collect taxes, leading to a lack of funds for the national government.
Why did the national government struggle with financial issues under the Articles of Confederation?
-The national government struggled financially because congress had no power to collect taxes, and states, which had the power to tax their citizens, were often in debt themselves and reluctant to provide funds to the national government.
Who was Daniel Shays and what role did he play in the history of the United States government?
-Daniel Shays was a farmer who led a rebellion in Massachusetts in 1786. His rebellion highlighted the weaknesses of the national government under the Articles of Confederation, which ultimately led to the need for a stronger central government.
What event led to the realization that the Articles of Confederation were not sufficient for the United States government?
-The realization that the Articles of Confederation were not sufficient came after the short-lived but shocking Shays' Rebellion, which showed the government's inability to effectively handle internal conflicts and enforce laws.
What document was created as a result of the perceived inadequacies of the Articles of Confederation?
-As a result of the inadequacies of the Articles of Confederation, 12 of the 13 states sent delegates in 1787 to forge a new document, the United States Constitution, which became the framework of the United States government today.
Outlines
🗽 Founding of the United States: The Articles of Confederation
This paragraph discusses the early years of the United States following the Revolutionary War. It highlights the lack of a unified government plan and the eventual creation of the Articles of Confederation. The document was drafted by a committee led by John Dickinson and was heavily influenced by Benjamin Franklin's earlier plan. It was adopted by Congress on November 15, 1777, but required ratification by all 13 states, a process that took over three and a half years. The Articles established a weak central government with a single-chamber Congress, reflecting the states' reluctance to cede power after their struggle against British tyranny. The Congress had limited powers, focusing mainly on foreign relations and defense, while states retained most of their authority. Despite some positive aspects, such as equal representation for each state, the weaknesses of this system became apparent, including the difficulty in passing laws and the inability to enforce them or collect taxes effectively.
🛡️ The Rise of Daniel Shays and the Need for a Stronger Government
The second paragraph delves into the economic and social unrest that led to Daniel Shays' Rebellion in Massachusetts. As farmers struggled with debt and tax burdens, Shays led a rebellion on January 25, 1787, which underscored the fragility of the national government under the Articles of Confederation. The rebellion, though quickly quelled, served as a wake-up call, demonstrating the urgent need for a more robust and effective federal government. This realization led to the convening of a convention in 1787, where 12 of the 13 states sent delegates to draft a new framework for governance, which would become the United States Constitution. The paragraph concludes with a call to action for viewers to continue exploring history, emphasizing the significance of these historical events in shaping the nation's government.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Articles of Confederation
💡Continental Congress
💡Revolutionary War
💡Declaration of Independence
💡Ratification
💡Daniel Shays
💡United States Constitution
💡Benjamin Franklin
💡John Dickinson
💡Tyranny
💡Shays' Rebellion
Highlights
The United States lacked a plan for government during the early years of the Revolutionary War.
The Declaration of Independence was signed in July 1776, but a government plan was still needed.
John Dickinson led a committee to draft a government plan, which took over a year of debate in the Continental Congress.
The Articles of Confederation were inspired by Benjamin Franklin's early plan and were adopted on November 15, 1777.
Ratification of the Articles of Confederation required approval from all 13 states, a process that took over three and a half years.
The states were wary of creating a powerful national government, leading to a weak central government under the Articles.
The single branch Congress under the Articles was responsible for foreign relations, war declarations, and maintaining armed forces.
Each state had one vote in Congress, regardless of population size, ensuring equality among states.
The national government had no power to enforce laws or collect taxes, leading to significant limitations.
The inability to collect taxes left the national government in debt, with states also struggling financially.
Daniel Shays led a rebellion in Massachusetts in 1786, highlighting the weaknesses of the national government.
The Shays' Rebellion was a turning point, showing the need for a stronger national government.
In 1787, delegates from 12 of the 13 states convened to create the United States Constitution, the framework of the current U.S. government.
The Articles of Confederation set a precedent for the balance of power between states and the federal government.
The struggle for power and the need for a unified government were central themes in the formation of the United States.
The historical context of the Articles of Confederation is crucial for understanding the development of the U.S. Constitution.
Transcripts
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yep that was the first constitution of
the united states
you're probably wondering how we ended
up in this predicament
let's rewind a bit
british and american soldiers had
already been engaging in battles in the
revolutionary war since april of 1775.
the united states declared its
independence on july 4th 1776
but in all that time one important piece
of the puzzle was missing
a plan for government for the new
country
around the time the declaration of
independence was signed in july of
1776 the question of setting up a new
government was on the forefront of
everyone's minds
a committee of men led by john dickinson
was given the job of drafting a plan for
government which they did but it took
the continental congress over a year of
debate discussion and gathered
inspiration from benjamin franklin's
early plan called the articles of
confederation and perpetual union before
settling on a plan which they called the
articles of confederation
[Music]
delegates agreed it wasn't a perfect
plan but congress adopted it on november
15 1777
now it just needed to be approved
fun fact
approval by all 13 states was needed
before it could be ratified
and it would not be an easy or fast
process
delegates from eight states ratified it
on july 9 1778
but it wasn't until maryland finally
ratified it on march 1 1781 that the
goal was achieved
over three and a half years after it had
been proposed
the 13 states were very nervous about
giving power away to a national
government
after all they were breaking away from
great britain and the king of england
who they on multiple occasions had
called a tyrant and the states weren't
keen on giving any major power to a
singular ruler ever again
thus the articles of confederation set
up a weak central government with a
single branch congress which was mostly
responsible for handling relations with
other countries and declaring war as
needed
states kept most of the power which made
them happy but ultimately caused a lot
of problems for the young country
before we talk about the bad news let's
start with the good news
[Music]
in congress each state received one vote
making every state equal regardless of
how big their populations were
congress was given some important powers
in the articles of confederation
they could manage relations with other
countries and native american tribes
issue money borrow money establish the
post office and maintain the armed
forces
now for the bad news
in creating a weak national government
the states had assured a tyrant couldn't
rise to power
but that limited power came with other
problems
first agreeing to new laws required
agreement by nine of the 13 states
and approval of changes to the articles
of confederation itself required
agreement by all 13 states
remember how long it took to approve the
document in the first place
yeah
agreement between the states didn't
magically get easier after they won
their independence from great britain
additionally congress had no power to
enforce laws or collect taxes
yep
let that sink in
states had the power to enforce laws
passed for the national government
or not
the national government was too weak to
force states to carry out their laws
they could only ask
nicely
likewise
because congress had no power to collect
taxes the national government didn't
have a lot of money
which was a problem because the nation
was in debt
the government could ask states for
money
but the states were in debt too
states did have the power to tax their
citizens and they did
sometimes too much
the powers given to the national
government were so limited it could do
nothing to stop it
[Music]
enter daniel shays our friend from the
beginning of our story
in 1786 massachusetts a storm was
brewing
business owners began demanding payments
for goods farmers had bought on credit
and the government began raising taxes
at the same time
when farmers couldn't pay their debts
they were arrested or found their farms
taken away by the government
farmers grew angry and one daniel shays
led a rebellion that escalated on
january 25 1787.
on that day one thousand two hundred
farmers marched into springfield
massachusetts to season arsenal
after a small skirmish two farmers died
and twenty were wounded
while the rebellion was short-lived it
shocked the nation because it showed the
weaknesses of the national government
under the articles of confederation
something had to change if the united
states government was going to survive
past its early years
in 1787 12 of the 13 states sent
delegates to forge a new document
the united states constitution
the very framework of the united states
government today
hey everyone thanks for watching don't
forget to hit the subscribe button down
below and the like button to show some
love i'll see you next time in the
meantime keep pursuing history
[Music]
you
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