VIDEO
HIGHLIGHT
Log InSign up
The ARTICLES of CONFEDERATION [APUSH Review Unit 3 Topic 7 (3.7)] Period 3: 1754-1800
SummaryTranscriptChat

The ARTICLES of CONFEDERATION [APUSH Review Unit 3 Topic 7 (3.7)] Period 3: 1754-1800

Understanding the First Constitution of the United States

Introduction to the Articles of Confederation

  • The video introduces the concept that the current U.S. Constitution is actually the second constitution, with the first being the Articles of Confederation.
  • The Articles were created after declaring independence from Britain on July 4, 1776, to organize political authority in newly independent states.

Formation and Structure of the Articles

  • Ratified in 1781, the Articles were influenced by existing state constitutions which concentrated power in legislative branches.
  • The legislative branch was designed to be answerable to the people through representatives, avoiding a strong executive due to fears stemming from monarchy.

Limitations of Government under the Articles

  • There was no executive branch or national supreme court; all power resided within a single legislature where each state had one vote.
  • Changes to the Articles required a super-majority (9 out of 13 states), making it difficult to amend or adapt.

Challenges Faced by Early Government

  • Westward migration led to conflicts with American Indians and issues with land squatting, necessitating regulation by federal government.
  • The Northwest Ordinance of 1787 emerged as significant legislation promoting public education and abolishing slavery in new territories.

Economic Struggles and Shays's Rebellion

  • By mid-1780s, economic turmoil affected farmers who struggled with debts incurred during their service in the Revolutionary War.
  • Daniel Shays led an uprising due to these grievances; however, it highlighted weaknesses in governance since there was no president or federal army available for support.

Conclusion: Need for Change

Playlists: APUSH Unit 3
Video description

GET FOLLOW-ALONG NOTEGUIDES for this video: https://bit.ly/3NUwwmj AP HEIMLER REVIEW GUIDE (formerly known as the Ultimate Review Packet): +APUSH Heimler Review Guide: https://bit.ly/44p4pRL +AP Essay CRAM Course (DBQ, LEQ, SAQ Help): https://bit.ly/3XuwaWN +Bundle Heimler Review Guide and Essay CRAM Course: https://bit.ly/46tjbZo HEIMLER’S HISTORY MERCH! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_bOoi0e3L3SJ1xx5TZWHPw/store Instagram: @heimlers_history For more videos on APUSH Unit 3, check out the playlist: https://bit.ly/35AzfM9 In this video Heimler takes you through Unit 3 Topic 7 of the AP U.S. History curriculum which is set in period 3 (1754-1800). The first constitution of the United States was called the Articles of Confederation. And because it was patterned after state constitutions that had recently broken with the tyranny of a centralized power (i.e., Britain) the federal government under the Articles was very weak. All power was invested into the legislative branch, and there was no provision for a national bank, an executive, a Supreme Court, a national army, etc. This weakness became plain in a little event known as Shays' Rebellion in which indebted farmers rebelled against debt collectors in Massachusetts. When the Massachusetts militia had no outside help from the federal government, the elite grew a little twitchy that these kinds of things could keep happening. Thus, the weakness of the Articles of Confederation was exposed and that brings us to the Constitutional Convention, on which, check the next video. If you have any questions, leave them below and Heimler shall answer forthwithly. This video is aligned with the AP U.S. History Curriculum and Exam Description for Unit 3 Topic 7, and the following Key Concepts: 3.2.II.A, 3.2.II.B, 3.3.I.C