Government Under the Articles of Confederation

1. Government Under the Articles of Confederation America Triumphant and Brittania in Distress

2. Confederation Timeline 1776 Declaration of Independence 1776 Congress appoints committee to draft a national constitution Nov 1777 Congress approves first national constitution, Articles of Confederation 1781 Articles of Confederation finally ratified by all states 1783 Newburgh Conspiracy Peace of Paris

3. Government under the Articles • Government by legislature • declare war and make peace • conduct diplomacy • regulate Indian affairs • appoint military and naval officers • requisition men from the states • coin money, issue paper currency • Congressional committees: constantly changing membership; must draft, administer and enforce all laws • no executive.

4. Government under the Articles • No power to: • collect taxes • regulate trade • no coercive power of federal over state governments • act nationally.

5. Government under the Articles • How to get elected to Congress? • Who likely to get elected? • Whose interests are supported by these delegates?

6. Nationalists emerge • Their desires • strong central government • support of debts incurred during war, especially soldiers • When and how do they gain power? • 1780-81 due to rotation in office/term limits • mounting debt and problems with Continental currency • nomination of Robert Morris.

7. Nationalists Emerge • Robert Morris • “financier of the revolution” • money to Washington in times of crisis • political convictions • 1781-4 superintendent of finance.

8. Nationalists Emerge • Morris works to establish funds and economic system • 1781 establishes Bank of United States • capitalization of $400,000 • increases unity of nation • necessary for the economy.

9. Nationalists Emerge • 1781 Impost Amendment • 5% as a constitutional amendment • can only requisition money from states • 1780-81 asks for $10,000,000 gets less than 10%! • requires unanimous passage • case of Rhode Island and its creditors • “fixed revenues can solve many problems” • supplying army properly • pay back salaries • provide officer corps with promised postwar pensions • pay foreign and civilian creditors.

10. Nationalists Emerge • Newburgh Conspiracy • officers fear lack of promised pensions & nationalists fears in Congress • dissident officers (Gates) send message to Congress “Any further experiments on our patience may have fatal effects.” • alliance between dissidents and nationalists • Washington ends conspiracy • shows that Washington places military below civilian authority • officers get a lump sum payment.

11. Washington resigning his commission 1783

12. Government under the Articles • Exceptionally weak • furloughed soldiers in 1783 threaten Congress - PA does not assist • Congress moves capital • politicians focus on local rather than national affairs • declining interest in Congress • ex. - Treaty of Paris (ending war with England) and lack of a quorum (nine states) to ratify.

13. Pressures in the New Republic • Post war economic problems • eager merchants, poor trade - British response • state tariffs • increasing cries for paper money • legislation favoring debtors • VA, NJ, PA, CT • Rhode Island example • States without such laws suffer.

14. Pressures in the New Republic Shay’s Rebellion 1787 • conflict between rich and poor (east/west) • close courts in west • militia sent from east • seen as an example of the problem with “mobocracy”.