21 A Union Without Power

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The American Revolution (HIST 116) • • In this lecture, Professor Freeman discusses the Articles of Confederation. Although they seem hopelessly weak in the long view of history, the Articles made perfect sense as a first stab at a national government by a people who deeply distrusted centralized power - a direct product of their recent experience of the British monarchy. Among the many issues that complicated the drafting of the Articles, three central issues included: how war debts to European nations would be divided among the states; whether western territories should be sold by the national government to pay for those debts; and how large and small states would compromise on representation. When a series of events - like Shays' Rebellion - highlighted the weaknesses of the Articles, some Americans felt ready to consider a stronger national government. • • 00:00 - Chapter 1. Introduction: A Union Without Power • 02:12 - Chapter 2. Representation, Taxation, Western Lands: Debates on the Articles of Confederation • 10:03 - Chapter 3. The Immediate Effects of the Articles • 17:15 - Chapter 4. Frail Foreign Relations, Weak Congress, Splitting States: Weaknesses in the Confederation in the 1780s • 30:40 - Chapter 5. Shays' Rebellion and Newbough Conspiracy: Their Impacts on Thoughts for a Stronger, National Government • 40:02 - Chapter 6. How Can the States be United? Debates on the National Constitution • • Complete course materials are available at the Open Yale Courses website: http://open.yale.edu/courses • • This course was recorded in Spring 2010.

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