The Articles of Confederation: A Weak National Government
Evaluate how the Articles of Confederation's weak central government failed to tax, regulate commerce, or enforce laws, creating crises that led to the Constitutional Convention in Grade 8.
Key Concepts
After the Revolution, Americans created their first national government, the Articles of Confederation . Fearful of a strong central ruler like a king, the states designed a system where they kept most of the power. This created a "firm league of friendship" where each state acted almost like an independent country.
The national Congress had very limited authority. It could not tax citizens or states to raise money, nor could it control trade. Without the power to raise funds or enforce its own laws, the central government was intentionally weak and struggled to lead the new nation.
Common Questions
Why was the Articles of Confederation considered too weak?
The Articles gave Congress no power to tax, no authority to regulate commerce between states, and no way to enforce laws, leaving the national government dependent on states.
What crises revealed the Articles of Confederation's weaknesses?
Shays' Rebellion showed the government could not maintain order, while inability to pay war debts and growing interstate trade disputes proved the system had failed.
Why did Americans make the central government weak under the Articles?
Still fearing a powerful ruler like the British king, the founding generation deliberately limited national power and gave most authority to individual states.