Segment One: Writing a Union
- Why independence required a formal agreement among the states.
- Franklin’s early proposals, Richard Henry Lee’s resolution, and John Dickinson’s draft.
- Disagreements over representation, money, state sovereignty, and western lands.
- Congress adopts the Articles November 15, 1777, and submits them to the states November 17.
Segment Two: Thirteen States Must Agree
- Why congressional adoption did not put the Articles into effect.
- Maryland holds out over western land claims.
- State concessions help break the impasse.
- Final ratification puts the Articles into effect March 1, 1781.
Segment Three: Independence Without Enough Authority
- Accomplishments: peace, western land policies, and the Northwest Ordinance.
- Congress depends on states for revenue and struggles to pay national debts.
- Attempts to strengthen congressional finances fail.
- Trade disputes, foreign pressures, and Shays’ Rebellion intensify demands for reform.
Segment Four: The Lessons of the First Constitution
- Annapolis and the road to the Philadelphia Convention.
- Delegates propose replacing the Articles rather than merely revising them.
- The Constitution adds revenue powers, commercial authority, and stronger national institutions.
- Closing discussion: How can government be strong enough to fulfill its responsibilities while remaining accountable and limited?
