Download The Articles of Confederation, A Quick Overview Under the Articles

The Articles of Confederation, A Quick Overview
Under the Articles of Confederation, our country took its first steps as a nation. As a result,
the first formal government was established under a legitimate constitution. The government
established by the Articles conducted the affairs of the country prior to the establishment and
ratification of the U.S. Constitution we have today. A major event leading to the reality that a formal
government was needed correlates to Shay’s Rebellion. In September 1786, Daniel Shays, a former
captain during the Revolutionary War, led a rebellion in Massachusetts about the unstable economic
conditions faced by the farmers in the western part of the state. The rebellion was eventually
unsuccessful, partly due to a militia raised by the state of Massachusetts, but the rebellion alarmed
conservative patriots and inspired calls for a stronger federal constitution.
The Articles of Confederation were ratified in 1781 during the American Revolution. The
American Revolution started in 1775. The Declaration of Independence was issued in 1776. The
Treaty of Paris, which ended the Revolution was signed in 1783, two years after the Articles of
Confederation were ratified by the states. Nevertheless, there were issues and disagreements prior to
ratification. Maryland refused to ratify the document. Maryland refused until Virginia and New York
agreed to cede their claims in the Ohio River Valley. Eventually, the state governments of all 13
states ratified them. Congress approved the Articles of Confederation in 1777, and a copy was sent to
each of the thirteen states for ratification. March 1, 1781, Maryland became the last of the 13 states to
ratify the Articles of Confederation, and they went into effect.
The Articles of Confederation was in effect for eight years (1781-1789) and there was one
president during each of those years. Eight men were appointed to serve a one-year term as president
under the Articles of Confederation. John Hanson, the first, began his term in 1781. His exact title
was “President of the United States in Congress Assembled”, but he was not like the president as we
know the office held today. However, the final authority concerning governance belonged to each
state government, which left the federal government without enough power to govern effectively.
In September 1786, representatives from five of the 13 states met in Annapolis, Md., to
discuss the economic instability of the country under the Articles of Confederation. In 1787,
delegates met in Philadelphia to discuss revisions to the Articles of Confederation. After the two
meetings, it was decided that an entirely new Constitution was needed. We now refer to this meeting
as the Constitutional Convention.
There wasn’t a national judicial system under the Articles of Confederation, so there were no
courts. Those favoring a weak central government were afraid of the “judicial tyranny” the colonies
experienced under British rule. The thought was the result of all of the many injustices colonials
experienced as the King’s justice was administered. Additionally there were colonials who feared
strong central government. Under the Articles, states retained sovereignty over all governmental
functions not specifically relinquished to the central government. Fear concerning concentration of
power in national government, the Articles established a representational system of government in
which the rights of States’ rights were protected. It established a weak national government because
the authors feared that if the national government had too much power the rights of states and
individuals would be too limited.
The Articles were based on a confederation, a concept of a weak central government where
the states had more power than the federal government. By the end of the 1780s, it was evident that
the country needed a stronger central government to address many political and economic issues. In
other words, the nation needed a stronger government. The need for a strong central government was
evidenced by the lack of power to collect taxes. Under the Articles, the federal government did not
have the power to collect taxes directly. Revenue was only given to the federal government by the
states’ governments. At the same time, the Articles gave Congress the power to declare peace and
war. The Articles of Confederation had many weaknesses, but it did give the federal government the
power to declare peace and war and therefore to conduct the foreign affairs of the United States when
it was a new nation.
The Articles lead to the passage of important legislation: The Northwest Ordinance, which
established the process by which a territory could become a state. The Articles also provided unity
and stability to the 13 states. The Articles set the rules for operations of the confederation of “United
States.” The confederation was capable of making war, negotiating diplomatic agreements, and
resolving issues regarding the western territories, even during the Revolutionary War. However, the
Articles had an unintended outcome in that interstate commerce was almost paralyzed by tariffs
between the states. The Articles of Confederation did not give the federal government the power to
regulate commerce between the states. So, states began levying tariffs on imports from other states to
boost their own economies, which almost ended interstate trade completely.
As a result of all of the mounting problems with the Articles, a common agreement was made
that the Articles were simply too ineffective. The culminating event leading to this realization was
the fact that our nation nearly lost the Revolutionary War due to the inability to provide for the
defense of the nation. The Articles were replaced when the U.S. Constitution was officially ratified
on June 21, 1788. The Constitution gave the federal government the power to, among many other
things, collect taxes. Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution gave Congress the power to “lay and
collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises,” a power which the Articles of Confederation did not
give to the federal government.
Articles of Confederation Critical Thinking Questions
Name ____________________________
Instructions: Answer the following questions in a complete sentence at a minimum on a separate sheet of
paper. Responses may come from the document, from the class lecture, or the textbook.
1. What were the Articles of Confederation?
2. The Articles of Confederation provided the legitimate power to establish many functions of
government, but what necessary function in the three branch system we have today did the
Articles not have to power to establish and why was this the case?
3. During what time-line event in American history were the Articles of Confederation ratified?
4. During the tenure of the Articles of Confederation, how many presidents served?
5. If one were to sum up the rationale behind replacing the Articles of Confederation by the U.S.
Constitution, what would the rational be?
6. Among the many functions of government, which function of government was not granted to the
Articles? This lack of functioning power almost cost the new nation its freedom.
7. Of the homogeneous culture of America, who would have been most likely to support the
establishment and continuance of the Articles of Confederation?
8. In which two cities did delegates meet to discuss problems with the Articles of Confederation?
9. Who was the first president of the United States under the Articles of Confederation?
10. Concerning foreign relations and national defense, what was an important strength of the Articles
of Confederation?
11. During the tenure of the Articles of Confederation, who had the final authority on all matters of
governance?
12. Why did it take more than four years to get the Articles of Confederation ratified?
13. Of all of the critical events of the new nation ear, which event of conflict demonstrated the need
to change the type of government from the Articles of Confederation?
14. The authors of the Articles of Confederation shared one common fear. What was this fear?
15. Concerning for providing for the general welfare of the nation, what was the difference between
the Constitution and the Articles of Confederation?
16. During the era of the new nation, what was the rationale behind the development of the Articles
of Confederation relevant to the 13 States?
17. Of all of the legislative actions enacted during the tenure of the Articles of Confederation, which
piece of legislation was most important concerning the political sub-divisions within the nation?
18. Specifically, what was an effect of the Articles of Confederation on the U.S. domestic economy?
19. By what method was the Articles of Confederation ratified?
20. Identify the time period of the Articles of Confederation?