zuai-logo

Challenges of the Articles of Confederation

James Wright

James Wright

7 min read

Listen to this study note

Study Guide Overview

This study guide covers the Articles of Confederation, focusing on its key weaknesses: weak central government, lack of taxation power, no control over commerce, absence of executive/judicial branches, and difficulty amending. It explores the impact of these flaws, highlighting Shays' Rebellion as a pivotal event. The guide also includes key terms, practice questions (MCQ, SAQ, FRQ), and exam tips for comparing the Articles to the US Constitution.

AP US Government: Articles of Confederation - Night Before Review 🚀

Hey, you've got this! Let's nail down the Articles of Confederation. This guide is designed to be your quick, high-impact review for tonight. We'll make sure you're confident and ready for anything the exam throws at you. Let's get started!

🏛️ The Articles of Confederation: A Quick Overview

The Articles of Confederation were the first attempt at a US government, adopted in 1777 during the American Revolution. Think of it as a rough draft. It created a weak central government and a loose alliance of independent states. It was designed to avoid the tyranny they had just fought against, but it swung too far in the other direction. This led to major problems, which we'll dive into now.

Key Concept

The Articles of Confederation were intentionally designed to be weak, fearing a repeat of British tyranny. However, this weakness led to significant problems.

📉 Key Weaknesses of the Articles

Here's where things started to fall apart. The Articles had some serious flaws that made governing the new nation incredibly difficult. These are essential to understand for the exam!

1. 🤕 Weak Central Government

  • Problem: The central government was too weak to enforce laws or effectively govern. States held most of the power.
  • Impact: Led to disunity and made it hard to address national issues.
Memory Aid

Think of the Articles as a group project where everyone wants to be the boss, but no one has real authority. Chaos ensues!

2. 💸 No Taxation Powers

  • Problem: The federal government couldn't tax citizens directly. It had to ask the states for money, which they often refused.
  • Impact: The government was constantly broke and couldn't pay off debts from the Revolutionary War. 💸
Quick Fact

No power to tax = no power to govern. This was a HUGE problem!

3. 🚧 No Control Over ...

Previous Topic - Federalist No. 10 & Brutus 1 Summary Next Topic - Ratification of the U.S. Constitution

Question 1 of 12

The Articles of Confederation represented the United States' 🧐:

Second attempt at a governing document

First attempt at a national government

Most successful form of government

Final and binding governing document