Origins and Significance of the Articles of Confederation

📜 The Articles of Confederation was the first constitution of the United States.

⚔️ The Revolutionary War between British and American soldiers began in April 1775.

🏛️ The question of setting up a new government for the newly independent United States arose in July 1776.

✍️ A committee led by John Dickinson drafted a plan for government called the Articles of Confederation.

🗓️ The Continental Congress took over a year to debate and discuss the Articles of Confederation before adopting it on November 15, 1777.

✅ All 13 states needed to approve and ratify the Articles of Confederation, which finally happened on March 1, 1781.

The Articles of Confederation established a weak central government with a single branch Congress.

Every state in Congress had equal voting power, regardless of their population size.

Congress had the power to handle foreign relations, issue money, and borrow money.

📮 The Articles of Confederation established a weak national government, with limited power and no ability to enforce laws or collect taxes.

⚖️ Agreeing to new laws required the agreement of nine out of the 13 states, and changing the Articles of Confederation required the agreement of all 13 states.

💪 The states had the power to enforce laws passed for the national government, making the national government too weak to compel states to carry out their laws.

🔑 Congress lacked the power to collect taxes, leading to financial difficulties for the national government.

💰 States were also in debt, making it challenging for the government to obtain funding.

⚖️ Daniel Shays led a rebellion in Massachusetts in 1786 due to the government's actions.

📜 On January 25, 1787, farmers marched into Springfield, Massachusetts to seize the arsenal, revealing the weaknesses of the national government under the Articles of Confederation.

🔁 The rebellion highlighted the need for change, leading to the gathering of delegates from 12 out of 13 states in 1787.

🌟 This resulted in the creation of the United States Constitution, which serves as the foundation of the current US government.

📜 The Articles of Confederation were the first constitution of the United States.

💼 The Articles of Confederation created a weak central government with limited powers.

⚖️ The Articles of Confederation failed to address key issues, leading to the creation of the Constitution.