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| | ==The Articles of Confederation== | | ==The Articles of Confederation== |
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| − | The U.S. Constitution did not create the "United States." The "Articles of Confederation," which came first, did. It was a desire to improve on the Articles of Confederation (AOC) which resulted in the U.S. Constitution. A common exam question asks about flaws in the AOC. | + | The U.S. Constitution did not create the "United States." The "Articles of Confederation," which came first, did. It was a desire to improve on the Articles of Confederation (AOC) which resulted in the U.S. Constitution. A common exam question asks about flaws in the AOC.<ref>"AOC" on exams refers to the Articles of Confederation. In 2019 there is another "AOC" in the news: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who is one of the youngest members of Congress (age 30) and an outspoken "progressive" Democrat on the left side of the political spectrum.</ref> |
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| − | Before and during the war, the [[Continental Congress]] met repeatedly to organize war efforts and try to resolve some issues for all the colonies as needed. This Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776 and proposed the Articles of Confederation in 1777. The Declaration of Independence, which we honor on July 4th, first coined the name the "United States of America" as follows: the "unanimous Declaration of the thirteen United States of America." On November 15, 1777, this name was formally given to the new country when the Second Continental Congress adopted the Articles of Confederation. Its first Article states: "The Stile of this Confederacy shall be 'The United States of America.'" Thus it was the [[Articles of Confederation]], not the [[Constitution]], that first established the [[United States of America]]. The Articles of Confederation were ratified by all 13 colonies in 1781, which converted them from "colonies" into "states". But due to flaws in the Articles of Confederation, they lasted only eight (8) years, and were replaced by the Constitution in 1789. | + | Before and during the war, the [[Continental Congress]] met repeatedly to organize war efforts and try to resolve some issues for all the colonies as needed. This Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776 and proposed the Articles of Confederation in 1777. The Declaration of Independence, which we honor on July 4th, first coined the name the "United States of America" as follows: the "unanimous Declaration of the thirteen United States of America." On November 15, 1777, this name was formally given to the new country when the Second Continental Congress adopted the Articles of Confederation. Its first Article states: "The Stile of this Confederacy shall be 'The United States of America.'" The Articles of Confederation were ratified by all 13 colonies in 1781, which converted them from "colonies" into "states". But due to flaws in the Articles of Confederation, they lasted only eight (8) years, and were replaced by the Constitution in 1789. |
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| − | The Articles of Confederation is a long and detailed document, available now on the internet, which expressly includes many powers and rights that are left unsaid by the subsequent Constitution. The Articles expressly authorized the people to recall their representatives, for example. | + | The Articles of Confederation is a long and detailed document, available for free access on the internet, which expressly includes many powers and rights that were left unstated by the subsequent Constitution. The Articles expressly authorized the people to recall their representatives, for example. |
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| | The Articles provided for a unicameral (one body) Congress to govern the states. There was no president (imagine that!), but rather a committee formed of one representative from each state who wielded executive authority. There were no federal (national) courts (imagine that also!). | | The Articles provided for a unicameral (one body) Congress to govern the states. There was no president (imagine that!), but rather a committee formed of one representative from each state who wielded executive authority. There were no federal (national) courts (imagine that also!). |
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| | Under the Articles of Confederation, Congress was given the power to declare war, raise an army and navy, make commercial treaties, borrow money, control currency, and levy assessments against the states. But Congress lacked the power to impose taxes on the people to pay for any of that. It could ask the states for money, but could not force them to pay. The power to raise an army is almost meaningless without the means to raise money to pay the army. | | Under the Articles of Confederation, Congress was given the power to declare war, raise an army and navy, make commercial treaties, borrow money, control currency, and levy assessments against the states. But Congress lacked the power to impose taxes on the people to pay for any of that. It could ask the states for money, but could not force them to pay. The power to raise an army is almost meaningless without the means to raise money to pay the army. |
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| − | '''In sum, the Articles of Confederation created a very weak national government, too weak to accomplish what needed to be done'''. Several serious problems below illustrated the defects in this national government. A new convention would be needed to fix the Articles, but instead it decided to create a whole new system of government. | + | '''In sum, the Articles of Confederation created a very weak national government, too weak to accomplish what needed to be done'''. Several serious problems below illustrated the defects in this national government. A new convention would be needed to fix the Articles. When that convention finally occurred in 1787, the participants decided instead to create a whole new system of government and replace the Articles of Confederation completely. |
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| | ===Foreign Policy Problems under the Articles of Confederation=== | | ===Foreign Policy Problems under the Articles of Confederation=== |