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FAD: Articles of Confederation

Challenges of the Articles Analytical Reading
Concept Application: Source Analysis: Use the task verbs to guide your responses for each item.

Before You Read

The first government of the United States was established in the Articles of Confederation. Challenges
with this form of government caused many to support the new Constitution. As you prepare to analyze the
Articles, think about what you remember about the issues that many had with this governmental structure.
Some categories have been provided to guide your brainstorming.

Issues What you recall

1. Raising and collecting

taxes

2. Making changes to the

government

3. State versus federal

power

Required Document:
Excerpts from The Articles of Confederation

Paired with:
Excerpts from Letter #1 of the Federal Farmer to the Republican

Related Concepts:
◼
Constitution
◼
Confederation
◼
Challenges under the Articles of Confederation
◼
Shays’ Rebellion

The Articles of Confederation

You may already know that our Constitution sets up a federal system, in which states are joined together but
with a national government that is supreme when there is a conflict and with certain powers that are
exclusive to the national government (e.g., regulating inter-state and international trade, declaring war,
concluding treaties, etc.).

The Articles of Confederation, however, set up a different type of government. As you read the text, consider
how the government under the Articles was structured. Identify how power was divided between the national
government and the states. As you read, consider the challenges that some of the provisions of the Articles
may have presented to the young country.

The Articles of Confederation

Authored by the Second Continental Congress, 1777
Ratified by Maryland (last state to do so) on March 1, 1781

Of Confederation and perpetual Union between the States of New Hampshire, Massachusetts Bay, Rhode
Island and Providence Plantations, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware,
Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia.

ARTICLE I.
The [Style] of this confederacy shall be “The United States of America.”

4. What is meant by a confederation?

5. What do you think is the purpose of this document?

ART. II.
Each state retains its sovereignty, freedom, and independence, and every power, jurisdiction, and right, which is not
by this confederation expressly delegated to the United States, in Congress assembled

ART. III.
The said States hereby severally enter into a firm league of friendship with each other, for their common defense, the
security of their liberties, and their mutual and general welfare, binding themselves to assist each other, against all
force offered to, or attacks made upon them, or any of them, on account of religion, sovereignty, trade, or any other
pretense whatever…

ART. V.
For the more convenient management of the general interests of the united States, delegates shall be annually
appointed in such manner as the legislature of each State shall direct, to meet in Congress on the first Monday in
November, in every year, with a power reserved to each State to recall its delegates, or any of them, at any time within
the year, and to send others in their stead for the remainder of the year.

No State shall be represented in Congress by less than two, nor more than seven members; and no person shall be
capable of being a delegate for more than three years in any term of six years; nor shall any person, being a delegate,
be capable of holding any office under the united States, for which he, or any other for his benefit, receives any salary,
fees or emolument of any kind. Each State shall maintain its own delegates in a meeting of the States, and while they
act as members of the committee of the States. In determining questions in the united States in Congress assembled,
each state shall have one vote.…

6. Use your prior knowledge and context clues to define sovereignty and jurisdiction in the space below the
paragraph.

7. What did the document says about the powers of the states? How many votes did each state have under the
Articles?

8. Explain the founders’ idea of a confederation

9. Summarize the structure of the Congress as outlined in the Articles.

ART. VIII.
All charges of war, and all other expenses that shall be incurred for the common defense or general welfare,
and allowed by the united States in congress assembled, shall be defrayed out of a common treasury, which
shall be supplied by the several States in proportion to the value of all land within each state, granted to or
surveyed for any person, as such land and the buildings and improvements thereon shall be estimated
according to such mode as the united States in congress assembled, shall from time to time direct and
appoint. The taxes for paying that proportion shall be laid and levied by the authority and direction of the
legislatures of the several States within the time agreed upon by the united States in congress assembled.

ART. IX.
The united States in congress assembled, shall have the sole and exclusive right and power of determining on
peace and war, except in the cases mentioned in the sixth article—of sending and receiving ambassadors—
entering into treaties and alliances, provided that no treaty of commerce shall be made whereby the
legislative power of the respective States shall be restrained from imposing such imposts and duties on
foreigners, as their own people are subjected to, or from prohibiting the exportation or importation of any
species of goods or commodities whatsoever …

... The united States in congress assembled shall never engage in a war, nor grant letters of marque and
reprisal, in time of peace, nor enter into any treaties or alliances, nor coin money, nor regulate the value
thereof, nor ascertain the sums and expenses necessary for the defense and welfare of the united states, or
any of them, nor emit bills, nor borrow money on the credit of the united states, nor appropriate money, nor
agree upon the number of vessels of war, to be built or purchased, or the number of land or sea forces to be
raised, nor appoint a commander in chief of the army or navy, unless nine States assent to the same: nor shall
a question on any other point, except for adjourning from day to day be determined, unless by the votes of
the majority of the united States in congress assembled.

10. How were taxes assessed and collected under the Articles? What evidence is there that Congress lacked the sole
power to regulate commerce under the Articles?

Concept Application
11. How is power divided between the states and the national government in Article VIII?

Academic Vocabulary
12.Define commerce using the context of this article.

Connect to Content
13. Describe one way in which the powers granted to Congress under the Articles caused problems for the young
republic.

Concept Application
14. Describe the difficulties the powers not granted to Congress in this section of the Articles would likely have caused
to the function of the government.

ART. XIII.
Every State shall abide by the determination of the united States in congress assembled, on all questions which by this
confederation are submitted to them. And the Articles of this Confederation shall be inviolably observed by every state,
and the union shall be perpetual; nor shall any alteration at any time hereafter be made in any of them; unless such
alteration be agreed to in a congress of the united States, and be afterwards confirmed by the legislatures of every
State
Check Your Understanding
15. How many states would have to agree to any changes (amendments) to the Articles? How does the amendment
process reflect the division of power between the Confederation Congress and the states?

16. How might the amendment process impact the functions of the government?

Thinking Like a Political Scientist

Reasoning Process: Process

17. What were the characteristics of Congress outlined in the Articles of Confederation?

18.Based on this reading, what are your thoughts about the structural weaknesses of the Articles?

Concept Application

19. Going beyond the text, what challenges were or might have been faced by a government in which
the national government is designed to be weak?

The evidence in the text supports the idea that the national government relied on a large majority of the
states to take action.

20. How does this feature of the Articles of Confederation influence the balance of power between the
states and the national government?