U.S. Government and Civics / Unit 1: Foundations of Government
1.5 From Independence to the Articles
Notes
The Declaration of Independence (1776) explained why the colonies broke from Britain. The Articles of Confederation were the first national government.
- The Declaration's main ideas: unalienable rights, government by consent of the governed, and the right of the people to alter or abolish a government that destroys their rights. It then lists grievances against King George III.
- The Articles (ratified 1781) created a confederation with a one-house Congress in which each state had one vote.
- Weaknesses: no power to tax, no power to regulate interstate trade, no executive and no national courts; amendments required all 13 states.
- Shays' Rebellion (1786 to 1787) showed the national government could not keep order and led to the Constitutional Convention (1787).
- Success: the Northwest Ordinance (1787) set rules for admitting new states.
Practice
The grievances listed in the Declaration of Independence were meant to:
The list served as evidence that British rule had become tyrannical.
Under the Articles of Confederation, the national government could NOT:
Congress could only request money from states, which often refused.
Which event most directly convinced leaders that the Articles needed to be replaced?
The national government had no army or money to respond to the uprising.
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