Or, are we REALLY having an exam next week? Yes.

What is it?

What are its main tenets (ideas)?

What is it?

What are its main tenets (ideas)?

What are the nine (9) KEY concepts for understanding it?

• What are the nine (9) KEY concepts for understanding it?

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.DOI & Constitution need to be interpreted together;

together you get a fuller understanding of both.

DOI – July & August of 1776Constitution

Created September 17, 1787 Ratified June 21, 1788

DOI – July & August of 1776Constitution

Created September 17, 1787 Ratified June 21, 1788

ABOUT 12 YEARS!

The Articles of Confederation, formally the Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union, was a document signed amongst the thirteen original colonies that established the United States of America as a confederation of sovereign states and served as its first constitution.

Its drafting by a committee appointed by the Second Continental Congress began on July 12, 1776, and an approved version was sent to the states for ratification in late 1777.

The formal ratification by all thirteen states was completed in early 1781.

Even when not yet ratified, the Articles provided domestic and international legitimacy for the Continental Congress to direct the American Revolutionary War, conduct diplomacy with Europe and deal with territorial issues and Native American relations.

So what happened to them?Why aren’t we studying the Articles of

Confederation and Perpetual Union in this class instead of the Constitution?

Because they were a failure!

It was weak, too weak.Articles Constitution

WHY?Why were they too weak?

• Even though the Articles of Confederation and the Constitution were established by many of the same people, the two documents are very different.

• Stylistically, the Articles are more wordy, less straightforward and less quotable than the Constitution.

• Functionally, they (Articles vs. Constitution) lay out very different forms of government.

• The original five-page Articles contained a preamble, 13 articles, a conclusion, and a signatory section. The preamble states that the signatory states "agree to certain articles of Confederation and perpetual Union" between the 13 states.

• Here are the key ones:• Asserts the sovereignty of each state, except

for the specific powers delegated to the confederation government, i.e. "Each state retains its sovereignty, freedom, and independence, and every power, jurisdiction, and right, which is not by this Confederation expressly delegated.“

• Only the central government is allowed to conduct foreign political or commercial relations and to declare war.

• Here are the key ones:• Allocates one vote in the Congress of the

Confederation (the "United States in Congress Assembled") to each state, which is entitled to a delegation of between two and seven members.

• Members of Congress are appointed by state legislatures. – Also, individuals may not serve more than

three out of any six years.

While still at war with Britain, the Founding Fathers were divided between those seeking a powerful, centralized national government (the "federalists"), and those seeking a loosely structured one (the "anti federalists").

Jealously guarding their new independence, members of the Continental Congress arrived at a compromise solution dividing sovereignty between the states and the central government, with a unicameral legislature that protected the liberty of the individual states.

Latin uni, one + camera, chamberAny idea what we have now?

Latin uni, one + camera, chamberAny idea what we have now?Bicameral (House of Representatives &

Senate)

While calling on Congress to regulate military and monetary affairs, for example, the Articles of Confederation provided no mechanism with which to compel the States to comply with requests for either troops or revenue.

At times, this left the military without adequate funding, supplies or even food.

It had no teeth.