The Article of Confederation

* Historical Background

- Articles of Confederation (1777) were too clunky

-> a wartime necessity, it made many compromises

-> unity brought by war hid weaknesses

-> Confederation structure

=> congress only, one vote per state

=> could wage war and negotiate between states

=> many weaknesses of Confederation:

+> one vote per state unfair to big populations

+> “National Gov.” couldn’t tax

+> no executive power to enforce law

+> no national courts to have final say

+> no amendment without 100% approval

+> 9/13 super-majority required to pass laws

- The inter-state struggles of 13 jealous little countries at end of war (1781)

-> states withheld support from federal government

-> state pursuing independent foreign policies

-> separate armies

-> taxes on trade between states

- 1787, a meeting called to improve, fix the Articles of Confederation

-> becomes a new constitutional convention

-> met secretly to avoid outside pressure