The Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union
The Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union, also known as the Articles of Confederation, was the first constitution of the United States of America. It was adopted by the Second Continental Congress on November 15, 1777, and ratified by the last of the 13 states on March 1, 1781. The Articles created a weak central government with limited powers.
The Articles of Confederation established the following:
- A unicameral legislature, the Confederation Congress, in which each state had one vote.
- A president of Congress, who was elected by Congress every year.
- A committee of the states, which was responsible for carrying out the decisions of Congress when Congress was not in session.
- The power of Congress to declare war, make peace, sign treaties, and borrow money.
The Articles of Confederation also included the following provisions:
- The states retained all powers not specifically granted to Congress.
- Congress could not tax the states or their citizens.
- Congress could not regulate interstate commerce.
- Congress could not raise an army or navy without the consent of all 13 states.
The Articles of Confederation were soon found to be inadequate to meet the needs of the new nation. The government was too weak to deal with the financial problems of the war, the threat of foreign invasion, and the growing tensions between the states.
Some of the specific problems with the Articles of Confederation included:
- The inability of Congress to raise taxes meant that the government was constantly in debt.
- The inability of Congress to regulate interstate commerce led to trade disputes between the states.
- The inability of Congress to raise an army or navy meant that the government was vulnerable to foreign threats.
In 1787, the Constitutional Convention was held to address the problems with the Articles of Confederation. The delegates to the convention drafted a new constitution that gave the federal government more power. The new constitution was ratified by the states in 1788, and it replaced the Articles of Confederation.
Questions related to the Articles of Confederation:
- What were the main weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation?
- Why did the Articles of Confederation fail?
- What were the major differences between the Articles of Confederation and the Constitution of the United States?
Discussion of questions related to the Articles of Confederation:
Main weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation:
The Articles of Confederation had several major weaknesses, including:
- The inability of Congress to tax: This meant that the government was constantly in debt and unable to pay for its expenses.
- The inability of Congress to regulate interstate commerce: This led to trade disputes between the states and made it difficult for the government to promote economic growth.
- The inability of Congress to raise an army or navy: This meant that the government was vulnerable to foreign threats.
Why did the Articles of Confederation fail?
The Articles of Confederation failed because they did not provide the federal government with enough power to effectively govern the nation. The weaknesses of the Articles led to a number of problems, including:
- The inability of the government to pay its debts: This led to economic instability and social unrest.
- The threat of foreign invasion: The government was unable to defend itself against foreign powers.
- The growing tensions between the states: The states often disagreed on important issues, and the federal government was unable to resolve these disputes.
Major differences between the Articles of Confederation and the Constitution of the United States:
The Constitution of the United States addressed the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation by giving the federal government more power. Specifically, the Constitution:
- Gave Congress the power to tax: This gave the government a stable source of revenue.
- Gave Congress the power to regulate interstate commerce: This helped to promote economic growth.
- Gave Congress the power to raise an army and navy: This made the government more capable of defending itself.
In addition, the Constitution created a stronger central government with three branches: the legislative, executive, and judicial branches. This system of checks and balances helped to prevent any one branch from becoming too powerful.
The Articles of Confederation were an important first step in the development of the United States government. However, they were ultimately replaced by the Constitution of the United States, which provided a stronger and more effective government for the nation.
