The Articles of Confederation

Overview of the Articles of Confederation

  • Why it existed: After the United States declared independence in 1776, the new states didn't have one main government. They were very afraid of having a strong central government, like the one they had just fought against with King George III and the British Parliament. So, they purposefully created a weak central government, very different from the king's rule.

  • How it was adopted: The Second Continental Congress approved the Articles of Confederation on November 15, 1777. Then, it was sent to all the states to be approved by them. This document was the first written constitution, or set of rules, for the United States. All thirteen states finally agreed to it on March 1, 1781, when Maryland approved it, officially setting up the government.

Structure and Function

  • Central Government: The Articles created a very weak national government, like a "friendly team" among the states. Most of the power stayed with the individual states because they didn't want a national government to have too much control. There was no powerful president (executive branch) or national court system (judicial branch).

  • Congress: The only part of the national government was a one-house Congress. In Congress, each state had one vote, no matter how big or small it was, or how many people lived there. To pass important laws, like declaring war, making peace treaties, or spending money, at least nine out of thirteen states had to agree. Congress had powers like:

    • Going to war and making peace.

    • Making agreements and alliances with other countries.

    • Keeping an army and navy, but mostly relying on armies from each state.

    • Making money and deciding its value, although states could also print their own money.

    • Setting up post offices and borrowing money.

Powers and Limitations

  • Major Problems: The national government was very weak under the Articles, which eventually caused it to fail:

    • Could not collect taxes: Congress could only ask states for money. States often ignored these requests, which meant the national government couldn't pay its war debts, fund the army, or provide important services. Not having money was a huge problem.

    • Could not control trade between states: Each state could make its own taxes and rules for trade. This led to arguments, made it hard for states to trade with each other, and created a disorganized national economy. States even printed their own money, which made buying and selling things even more confusing.

    • Could not make states follow laws: Because there was no president to carry out laws or a national court to explain them, states often ignored what Congress decided. This meant many laws didn't work and showed that the national government couldn't make states obey.

    • No national court or president: Without a federal court system, arguments between states often weren't solved. And without a national leader, there was no one person to speak for the country, handle foreign affairs well, or provide strong guidance.

    • Needed everyone's agreement to change: To make any changes to the Articles, all thirteen states had to agree. This was almost impossible and meant the document couldn't be updated when new problems arose.

Major Issues Identified

  • Money Problems: Because the central government wasn't strong enough to collect taxes or control trade, the country faced severe economic issues. The national government struggled to pay its debts from the Revolutionary War, and many states had their own debts. Different state currencies and trade taxes made it hard for states to trade with each other, leading to economic chaos and anger among business owners and farmers.

  • Shays' Rebellion: This was an armed uprising in western Massachusetts that happened in 1786-1787. Led by Daniel Shays, a former soldier, upset farmers protested against high state taxes, large debts, and losing their farms. The national government couldn't gather an army to stop the rebellion, so Massachusetts had to use its own state army. This event clearly showed that the national government couldn't keep order, protect property, or respond effectively to attacks from within. It scared many important people and made it very clear that a stronger federal government was urgently needed.

Outcome and Legacy

  • Failure and Change: All these weaknesses, especially the money problems and the inability to stop Shays' Rebellion, made many national leaders, like James Madison and Alexander Hamilton, believe that the Articles were not good enough to govern the new country. They realized the country was close to falling apart, which led to a push for big changes. This resulted in the Annapolis Convention in 1786, which then called for the Constitutional Convention of 1787 in Philadelphia. Initially, they only wanted to fix the Articles, but they ended up drafting an entirely new plan for the government, which became the U.S. Constitution.