Articles of Confederation Flashcards
(16 cards)
When were the Articles of Confederation drafted?
1777
When were the Articles of Confederation ratified?
1781
When were the Articles of Confederation replaced by the 1787 Constitution?
1789
What was the purpose of the Articles of Confederation?
Unite 13 states under central government that would manage affairs like defence and foreign policy without overpowering state sovereignty
What were the key structural features of the articles of confederation?
Unicameral Legislature
No Executive Branch
No Judicial Branch
What did it mean that there was a unicameral legislature?
The central government was a single-house Congress in which each state had one vote, regardless of its population or size.
What did it mean that there was no executive branch?
There was no president or executive branch to enforce laws or policies.
What did it mean that there was no judicial branch?
There was no national judiciary (no Supreme Court or system of federal courts) to interpret laws or settle disputes between states.
What were Congress’s powers with war and diplomacy?
The government could conduct foreign policy and negotiate treaties with other nations.
What were Congress’s power with military?
The Articles allowed Congress to raise and maintain a military for defense.
What were Congress’s power with regulating trade
The central government could manage foreign trade but had no power to regulate interstate commerce or enforce laws across state lines.
Give 4 weaknesses with Articles of Confederation?
Lack of Central Power
Financial Problems:
Economic Instability:
Inability to Maintain Order
How did lack of central power become a weakness?
No executive branch or judiciary to enforce laws or interpret them.
How did financial problems arise under articles?
No power to tax meant that the government couldn’t generate revenue and often relied on state contributions + hard to pay off war debts
How did economic instability arise under articles?
The government couldn’t regulate interstate commerce, leading to economic disparities between states.
How did it become hard to maintain order under articles of confederation?
Shay rebellion
