The Articles of ConfederationAMERICAN GOVERNMENT

The Articles

The Articles of Confederation was the first constitution of the United States

The Articles of Confederation was officially ratified in 1781 and outlined how the government of the United States was supposed to run

During the early history of our country the United States was a confederacy

A confederacy is a group of states that work together towards a common goal

This, however, was an extremely difficult task as this new country was extremely divided

Powers

The Articles of Confederation allowed for:

all states to retain their sovereignty

States to retain every power, jurisdiction, and right, which is not by expressly delegated by the Articles of Confederation

Each state is also given only 1 vote per issue in Congress

In order for an issue to pass through the Congress, a unanimous vote was required

This clause made it extremely difficult for Congress to make any changes to the Articles of Confederation or to pass any legislation

Central Power

The Articles of Confederation provided for no executive power in the government

Why?

Voting issues and a lack of a strong central government lead to many issues in the country

It was almost impossible to raise funds for the Revolutionary War so that troops could be paid and supplies could be purchased

It was also almost impossible to require the conscription of troops to fight the war

Weakness

The weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation started to wear upon many in the country

It was because of these weaknesses that politicians such as James Madison and Alexander Hamilton began to secretly work on a new government

This act was treasonous as it was subversive to the already established American Government

A Rebellion

Shays’ Rebellion

Shays’ Rebellion was a series of armed attacks on courthouses to prevent judges from foreclosing on farms

Due to the weakness of the Articles of Confederation, neither the Congress nor the states were able to raise a militia to stop the violence

A paid force had to be raised in order to stop Shay and his men

These attacks further demonstrated the ineffectiveness of the ARticles