APUSH Review: The Articles of Confederation

Summary

This video provides a comprehensive review of the Articles of Confederation, the United States' first government from 1781 to 1789. It highlights the weak central government, lack of an executive branch, difficulty passing laws, and issues like multiple state currencies and no national army. Key strengths include the Land Ordinance of 1785 and the Northwest Ordinance of 1787, which organized western territories and banned slavery. The video also covers domestic and foreign challenges, such as Shays' Rebellion and conflicts with Britain, Spain, and pirates. Finally, it explains how the Annapolis and Philadelphia conventions led to the drafting of the Constitution.

Takeaways

• 📝 The Articles of Confederation served as the first U.S. government from Generate key takeaways1781 to 1789, establishing a weak central government with strong state powers.
• ⚖️ There was no executive branch, and passing laws required approval from 9 of 13 states, making governance slow and inefficient.
• 💵 Each state could issue its own currency and impose tariffs, creating economic difficulties and hindering interstate trade.
• 🛡️ The Articles lacked a national army, leaving the country vulnerable to internal and external threats.
• 🌄 The Land Ordinance of 1785 sold western lands, divided them into 36-square-mile townships, and reserved the 16th section for public education.
• 🏞️ The Northwest Ordinance of 1787 set the process for territories to become states and prohibited slavery in the Northwest Territories.
• ⚔️ Domestic challenges like the Newburgh Conspiracy and Shays’ Rebellion revealed the weaknesses of the Articles and the need for a stronger central government.
• 🌍 Foreign challenges included Spain closing the right of deposit in New Orleans, British interference with Native Americans and forts, and Barbary pirate attacks on American merchants.
• 📜 The Annapolis Convention in 1786, led by Alexander Hamilton, called for a broader convention to address economic issues, leading to the Constitutional Convention in 178Key takeaways from script7.
• 🏛️ The Constitutional Convention ultimately replaced the Articles of Confederation with the U.S. Constitution, creating a stronger central government.

Q & A

What was the Articles of Confederation and when was it in effect?

The Articles of Confederation was the first government of the United States, in effect from 1781 to 1789, prior to the Constitution.

Why did the Americans create a weak central government under the Articles of Confederation?

Having recently lived under British rule, Americans wanted to avoid a strong central government and instead favored a system that gave more power to individual states.

What were the main weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation?

Key weaknesses included no executive branch, difficulty passing laws (9 out of 13 states needed approval), equal voting for all states regardless of size, virtually impossible amendments, each state having its own currency, and no national army.

What were some of the strengths of the Articles of Confederation?

Notable strengths included the Land Ordinance of 1785, which organized and sold western lands and reserved land for public education, and the Northwest Ordinance of 1787, which outlined the process for admitting new states and banned slavery in the Northwest Territories.

How did the Articles of Confederation affect trade between states?

Trade was difficult because each state could coin its own money and impose tariffs on goods from other states, discouraging economic growth.

What were the Newburgh Conspiracy and Shays' Rebellion, and why are they significant?

The Newburgh Conspiracy (1783) was a planned revolt by military officers that was stopped by George Washington. Shays' Rebellion (1786–1787) involved farmers and war veterans protesting foreclosures, high taxes, and debt imprisonment, highlighting the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation and the need for a stronger central government.

What foreign challenges did the United States face under the Articles of Confederation?

Challenges included Spain closing the right of deposit in New Orleans, Britain encouraging Native American attacks and engaging in impressment, Barbary pirates kidnapping merchants, and France restricting trade in the West Indies until debts were repaid.

What was the purpose of the Annapolis Convention of 1786?

The Annapolis Convention aimed to improve the economy under the Articles of Confederation, but only five states attended. Alexander Hamilton delivered a speech that led to the promise of a larger convention the next year.

What was the outcome of the Constitutional Convention of 1787?

The Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, initially intended to revise the Articles of Confederation, resulted in the drafting of a completely new government framework—the U.S. Constitution—because revising the Articles was deemed too difficult.

How did the Northwest Ordinance of 1787 impact slavery?

The Northwest Ordinance of 1787 prohibited slavery in the Northwest Territories, which included present-day Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, and parts of Minnesota.

Why was the system of one vote per state under the Articles of Confederation problematic?

It gave small states like Rhode Island the same power as large states like Virginia, leading to unequal representation and challenges in passing legislation.