#1: Why did the Articles of Confederation fail?

Willy Naess

3 Oct 202206:41

Summary

TLDRIn this lesson, students are introduced to the Articles of Confederation, the first failed attempt at forming a government in the newly independent United States after the Revolutionary War. The video covers the critical period from 1783 to 1788 when the country faced instability and the founding fathers struggled to create a federal government that balanced power between states and the nation. The lesson emphasizes federalism and the challenges of uniting the states under one constitution. The Articles of Confederation ultimately failed and were replaced by the U.S. Constitution, which is still in use today.

Takeaways

📜 The new unit focuses on the failed government attempt known as The Articles of Confederation.
🇺🇸 The American Revolution ended in 1783, and the United States gained independence from England.
⏳ The five-year period after the Revolution, until 1788, is called the Confederation Period.
❗ This period is also known as the Critical Period due to the instability and uncertainty of the new nation.
👨‍⚖️ The 13 colonies are now 13 states, and the Founding Fathers, including George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, led the government.
📖 A constitution is a written set of rules for how a government operates, outlining the process for laws, leadership, and government powers.
⚖️ The Founding Fathers had to create a powerful federal government to unite the states but avoid making it too strong.
🏛️ Federalism was established, meaning power is shared between the federal and state governments.
🛠️ The Articles of Confederation was the first attempt at federalism but failed to create a proper balance between federal and state power.
📚 The Articles of Confederation was replaced by the U.S. Constitution, which is still in use today.

Q & A

What is the main focus of the lesson?
-The lesson focuses on the Articles of Confederation, the first failed attempt at government in the United States, and its impact during the Confederation period.
What was the historical context at the start of this unit?
-The unit begins in 1783, after the American Revolution, when the Patriots had won independence from England and the United States was a new country.
What was the Confederation period?
-The Confederation period was a five-year period following the American Revolution, during which the United States was governed by the Articles of Confederation.
Why is this period also called the 'critical period'?
-It is called the 'critical period' because the new United States lacked stability and it was uncertain if the country would remain intact.
What challenge did the Founding Fathers face after the American Revolution?
-The Founding Fathers had to create a constitution that could unite the 13 newly independent states, despite their differences.
What is a federal government?
-A federal government is a government that has power over the entire country, and its laws apply to all states equally.
What is federalism and why was it important?
-Federalism is a system where power is shared between the federal government and state governments. It was important because it balanced the need for a strong central government with the fear of giving it too much power.
What was one of the main weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation?
-The Articles of Confederation failed to create a strong balance between federal and state powers, leading to instability and problems in governing the new nation.
What happened after the Articles of Confederation failed?
-After the Articles of Confederation failed, the Founding Fathers replaced it with a new constitution—the U.S. Constitution, which is still in use today.
What is one example of a federal power and a state power under federalism?
-An example of a federal power is declaring war, while an example of a state power is controlling public schools and deciding the curriculum.

Outlines

00:00

📜 Introduction to the Articles of Confederation and Critical Period

The video begins with an introduction to a new unit focused on the Articles of Confederation, the first attempt at creating a government in the newly formed United States. After the American Revolution ended in 1783, the Patriots had won independence, and the United States entered the Confederation Period (1783-1788), when the country was governed by the Articles of Confederation. This time is also referred to as the 'Critical Period' due to the instability and uncertainty surrounding the country’s survival. The Patriots, now called the Founding Fathers, took on the challenge of creating a functioning government for the newly independent 13 states.

05:01

📜 The Founding Fathers’ Task: Writing a Constitution

This paragraph introduces the Founding Fathers, such as George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, and Thomas Jefferson, and their task of creating a constitution for the new country. A constitution is a written set of rules that dictate how a government operates, including how laws are made, how leaders are chosen, and the limits of their power. The challenge for the Founders was creating a constitution that could unite the 13 diverse states, each with distinct needs, such as plantation owners in Georgia and factory owners in Massachusetts.

⚖️ Understanding Federal Government and Federalism

The concept of a federal government is introduced, which refers to a government that holds authority over the entire country. The Founding Fathers faced the dilemma of creating a federal government strong enough to unite the states while avoiding a concentration of power reminiscent of a monarchy. The compromise was the creation of federalism, where power is shared between federal and state governments. Federal powers, such as declaring war, apply to all states, while states retain control over local matters, like education.

⚖️ The Balance of Power: Federalism in Action

This paragraph emphasizes the importance of federalism as a balancing act between federal and state powers, which has caused numerous conflicts throughout U.S. history. The paragraph introduces the next topic: the Articles of Confederation, the Founding Fathers' first attempt at federalism. However, the Articles failed to strike a proper balance of power, leading to the decision to replace them with the U.S. Constitution after only five years. The paragraph closes by reminding students to differentiate between the Articles of Confederation and the later U.S. Constitution, which is still in use today.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Articles of Confederation

The Articles of Confederation was the first constitution of the United States, created after the American Revolution. It attempted to establish a national government with limited federal power, granting most authority to the states. However, it failed to create a strong, stable government, leading to its replacement by the U.S. Constitution in 1788.

💡Confederation Period

The Confederation Period refers to the five years between the end of the American Revolution in 1783 and the ratification of the U.S. Constitution in 1788. During this time, the United States was governed under the Articles of Confederation, a period marked by instability and uncertainty about the country's future.

💡Founding Fathers

The Founding Fathers were the political leaders who played significant roles in the creation of the United States. Figures like George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, and Thomas Jefferson were instrumental in shaping the new nation. In the video, they are described as the framers who developed the nation's first constitution, the Articles of Confederation.

💡Federalism

Federalism is a system of government in which power is divided between a national (federal) government and individual states. The video explains that federalism was a key compromise made by the Founding Fathers to ensure both national unity and state autonomy. It contrasts the powers of the federal government (such as declaring war) with those reserved for the states (like controlling public schools).

💡Federal Government

The federal government is the central authority governing all states in a country. In the video, it is explained that the Founding Fathers faced the challenge of creating a federal government powerful enough to unite the 13 states, yet not so strong as to become oppressive, as they feared after their experiences under British rule.

💡Critical Period

The Critical Period refers to the years following the American Revolution, during which the newly formed United States faced immense challenges in maintaining unity and stability. The video highlights this time as pivotal for the survival of the new nation, as it struggled to operate under the weak framework of the Articles of Confederation.

💡U.S. Constitution

The U.S. Constitution is the document that replaced the Articles of Confederation and established the current framework for the federal government. The video introduces the Constitution as the solution to the failures of the Articles, providing a stronger foundation for governing the nation. It remains the supreme law of the United States today.

💡Ratification

Ratification is the formal approval of a document or agreement. In the video, it refers to the process of formally accepting the U.S. Constitution, which replaced the ineffective Articles of Confederation. The ratification of the Constitution in 1788 marked the end of the Confederation Period and the beginning of a new era of governance.

💡State Powers

State powers refer to the rights and responsibilities reserved to individual states under federalism. The video gives the example of public education as a state power, where each state decides on its curriculum and student testing. This balance between federal and state authority was a key aspect of the Founding Fathers' vision for the new nation.

💡Framers

The Framers are the group of individuals who drafted the U.S. Constitution. In the video, the term is used interchangeably with Founding Fathers to describe those who were responsible for creating the framework of the new U.S. government. Their goal was to balance state and federal powers, leading to the development of federalism.

Highlights

Introduction of the lesson focusing on the Articles of Confederation as a failed attempt at government.

Students are instructed to review objectives and prepare to take notes.

The unit begins after the American Revolution in 1783, covering the period until the ratification of the U.S. Constitution in 1788.

The period is referred to as the Confederation period, characterized by instability in the new United States.

The 13 colonies have now become the 13 states of the United States.

Introduction of the Founding Fathers or Framers, including notable figures like George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, and Thomas Jefferson.

A constitution is described as a set of rules for how a government operates, including how laws are made and powers are distributed.

The challenge for the Founding Fathers was creating a constitution that could unite all 13 states with their various differences.

Introduction of the term 'federal government,' referring to the central government that has authority over the entire country.

The dilemma faced by the Founders: creating a strong federal government without making it too powerful.

Introduction of the concept of federalism, which means power is shared between federal and state governments.

Federal powers, such as declaring war, are reserved for the federal government, while states control local matters like public schools.

Federalism is a balancing act, and disagreements between state and federal powers have caused significant conflicts throughout U.S. history.

The Articles of Confederation, the first attempt at federalism, ultimately failed due to an imbalance of power between federal and state governments.

The Articles of Confederation were replaced by the U.S. Constitution, which remains in use today.