DATE DUE _________________

NAME _________________
PERIOD___________
SCORE _____________/125
Articles of Confederation Incomplete Notes
U.S. History
Directions: Fill in the blanks below as the answers are given in class.
If you are absent, it is your responsibility to get the words from a
classmate. Each correctly filled-in blank is worth 2 points. Next
answer the questions and complete the vocabulary at the end of the
notes. Explain your answers clearly and write in complete sentences.
You may use another piece of paper. Do your own work and do your
best.
INCOMPLETE NOTES: (100 points)
Introduction
When the American colonies declared independence, each
colony set out to create its own ____________________. The writers of the
state constitutions wanted to make the government more
_____________________ and keep it from getting too powerful. Some
states wrote a __________________________ as a way to keep the state
governments under control. This idea came from the English Bill of
Rights of 1689 that listed the rights that a government guarantees to
its __________________.
While the states were setting up their government, Americans
also started to form a ____________________ government. Congress
agreed that the government needed to be a _______________________ but
disagreed about other things, like how ________________ should be
divided and who should control the lands in the West.
Articles of Confederation

When the Congress met together they needed to decide what

______________ of national government to create and how much
__________________ to give it. They were _________________ to give to
much power to a central government and also that the larger states
would ______________________ the smaller states. The result was the
Articles of _________________________________ a firm league of
_____________________________ between the states with a
_________________ central government. Each state would have
_____________ vote and there was no executive branch or
___________________ system. The legislature had one house the
Confederation Congress that could wage war, make _________________,
sign treaties and issue ____________________.
What the
Articles Said
Article 1

Article 2
Article 3

Article 4

Article 5
Article 6

Article 7
Name would be
_______________
_______________

Article 8

States rights
would be most
important
States would
have a common
________________

Article 9
Article 10

Each state would

recognize the
laws of the
others
Each state would
have one vote

Article 11

_______________
on the states

Article 13

Article 12

Rules for the

________________
Costs of war, etc.
would be paid
from a common
treasury from
___________
money
Powers of
Congress
Committee of
States would
have power
when Congress
wasnt in session
________________
could join on
equal terms
United States
would __________
all war debts
Amendments
required
approval of

_________ states
The Articles left most of the powers to the ________________. The
states had authority to set ________________ and enforce national laws.
The states were also left in control of the lands in the West. The
Articles said that ______________ of 13 states had to approve all
___________________ and that all 13 states had to agree to
_________________ the Articles.
The Congress sent the Articles to the states for ratification in
November of 1777. In 1781, ______________________________ became
the 13th state to accept the Articles and the United Sates finally had an
official government.
Achievements
Congress successfully waged
war of independence
Congress
______________________the peace
treaty
Congress convinced states to
recognize laws of other states
Congress passed the
_______________________________
______________________of 1787

Problems
Congress had no money and
_____________________________________
Congress couldnt force states to live
up to agreements with other nations
Congress had ___________________
over state governments and citizens
Congress had no power to stop
discrimination and unfair competition
between states

Running a Government
In the _______________ the government had its first major
challenge. In Massachusetts, and the other colonies, the people had
_________________ money, but were expected to pay high
_____________________ taxes. Soldiers from the war ___________________
been paid and farmers were losing their land. In January of 1786,
Revolutionary War veteran and farmer Daniel _____________________,
and about 1,500 men, marched on a federal ______________________.
The ____________________ government was asked to stop Shays and his
men, but they were unable to ___________________________. Finally

about 900 state militiamen arrived and ____________________ Shays

men. Because the federal government had been unable to stop Shays
Rebellion, many people believed they should
____________________________ the national government.
In September of 1786 delegates from ________________ states met
in Annapolis, Maryland, to discuss _____________________ problems
between the states. These delegates eventually requested a
convention for the sole and express purpose of _______________________
the Articles of Confederation in Philadelphia in __________________ of
1787.
QUESTIONS: (15 points)
1. What kind of governments did the new states create for themselves? (2
points)
2. What did Silas Deane mean when he said, United we stand, divided we
fall? Explain completely. (2 points)
3. Why did states without Western land claims want the other states to give
up their claims? Explain completely. (2 points)
4. Into what states was the Northwest Territory eventually divided? Name at
least two. (3 points)
5. How did debt cause problems for the federal government under the
Articles of Confederation? Explain completely. (2 points)

6. What are two weaknesses and one strength of the Articles of

Confederation? (4 points)

VOCABULARY: (10 points)

1. Wilderness Road

2. Republic

3. Northwest Ordinance

4. Northwest Territory

5. Shays Rebellion