The Constitution we know and love today is in fact our second Constitution, the first being the Articles of Confederation
The Continental Congress declared independence from Britain
1776
The Articles of Confederation was ratified in 1781 to become the new governing document of the nation
Articles of Confederation
Influenced by existing state constitutions
Placed power in the legislative branch
Did not provide for an executive or national supreme court
Every state had one vote
Required 9 out of 13 states to agree for any changes
Westward migration regulation
1. The federal government passed the Northwest Ordinance of 1787
2. Abolished slavery in the Northwest Territory
3. Provided an orderly means for unorganized territories to apply for statehood
Shays's Rebellion proved the Articles of Confederation was a flawed document in need of replacing
Farmers were in debt and petitioned for relief after the Revolutionary War
But had no luck getting a meaningful response from the state and federal government
Daniel Shays gathered a militia of about a thousand angry farmers and headed to the town arsenal to arm themselves
The Massachusetts militia stopped and crushed the uprising, but Massachusetts had to call the president for federal troops to help, but there was no president under the Articles
Shays's Rebellion showed the weakness of the Articles of Confederation, leading local and federal leaders to consider crafting a new Constitution
