United States History to 1877

Revolution and the New Nation: 1770s to the Early 1800s

NOTE: The Virginia Board of Education adopted the revised 2008 History and Social Science Standards of Learning at the January 10, 2008, meeting. Full implementation of these documents is scheduled for the 2010-2011 school year, as outlined in Superintendent’s Memorandum Informational Number 49. 

SUGGESTED INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES

• Begin the unit by asking students what were the basic weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation were.
• Explain that the Articles of Confederation was a constitution written during the American Revolution to establish the powers of the new national government.
• Explain to students that the Articles of Confederation was inadequate to define the government of the new country. Remind students of the many weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation. Explain that the central issue in creating a new government was what powers to delegate to the central government versus what powers the states should retain.
• Provide background knowledge that the Articles of Confederation was adopted November 15, 1777. Still at war with Great Britain, the colonists were not eager to establish another powerful national government. Three-and-a-half years passed before the states ratified (approved of) the Articles. As with anyone's first try at something, the Articles of Confederation was not perfect. While it required Congress to regulate the military, for example, it did not ensure that the states would send people to serve. Eventually replaced by the United States Constitution of 1789, the Articles of Confederation did provide some stability during the Revolutionary War years. Most important, it provided valuable lessons in self-governance and somewhat calmed fears about a powerful central government. More information is available at: http://www.americaslibrary.gov/cgi-bin/page.cgi/jb/revolut/2ndcong_2 .
• Provide additional background information that the Articles of Confederation, which served as the first American constitution, was written soon after the colonies declared independence from Great Britain and established a confederation of sovereign states. The Articles protected trade between the states and guaranteed free movement of citizens and goods. The document called for a common defense and stated that states should not form alliances that would be damaging to other states or to the confederation. The Continental Congress, the only manifestation of a central government, was empowered by the Articles of Confederation to handle national functions such as regulation of foreign affairs and war, establishment and maintenance of the postal service, control over Indian affairs, appointment of military officers, and oversight of financial matters such as currency valuation and procurement of loans. The common cause of the Revolutionary War held the confederation of states together, but the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation became acutely apparent during the war's aftermath. The Congress was in debt to other countries from the war and was unable to raise the necessary money since the Articles did not give Congress the authority for taxation. Spain and England were interfering with interstate trade and the national government had no means to combat this threat with a national defense. In addition, fundamental items like a standard currency (instead of separate currencies for each state) and a national system of weights and measures were sorely needed. It was clear that the central government, as conceived in the Articles of Confederation, lacked the authority needed to build a great nation. More information is available at: http://www.npg.si.edu/edu/brush/guide/unit1/king.html .
• Have the students discuss the weaknesses in the Articles of Confederation.
• Review the key points in the Articles of Confederation:
• Provided for a weak national government
• Gave Congress no power to tax or regulate commerce among the states
• Provided for no common currency
• Gave each state one vote regardless of size
• Provided for no executive or judicial branch
• Have the students complete the Articles of Confederation worksheet. For the Articles of Confederation worksheet, CLICK HERE. For the Articles of Confederation answer sheet, CLICK HERE.
• Provide each student with a Roadmap to the United States Constitution worksheet that provides instructions for the scavenger hunt. The worksheet is divided into two parts: students may work in pairs to complete both parts, or they may work individually on one part. For the Roadmap to the United States Constitution worksheet, CLICK HERE.
• After students have completed the worksheet, have the class as a whole review the answers. Emphasize the tension that existed over the issue of creating a strong federal government versus retaining powers for the states.

WEB SITES

http://www.usconstitution.net/articles.html
U.S. Constitution Online

http://avalon.law.yale.edu/18th_century/artconf.asp
Avalon Project at Yale Law School Articles of Confederation

http://bensguide.gpo.gov/9-12/documents/articles/index.html
Ben's Guide to U.S. Government with information on the Articles of Confederation

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