Articles of Confederation

​The Articles of Confederation

Our First Plan for Government (1781-1787)

• Benchmark SS.7.CG.1.7

• Goal: how the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation led to the writing of the Constitution

Multiple Choice

What is a confederation?

• A strong central government

• A loose group of states

• A single state

• A type of monarchy

Shays' Rebellion

After the Revolutionary War, many farmers in Massachusetts were poor and couldn't pay their debts or taxes.
When the government tried to take their frms, a framer nameed Danine. Shays led a protest called Shays' Rebellion (1786-1787).
The national government couldn't stop the rebellion becuase it had no army or military, showing that the Articles of Confederation were too weak.
This made people realize that the United States needed a stronger central government, which led to writing the U.S. Constitution.

Multiple Choice

Shays's Rebellion ....

• exposed the weakness of the Articles of Confederation in its inability to provide security for the country.

• led the country to repeal the Articles of Confederation and adopt the Constitution of the United States.

• was a minor incident that had very little effect on the early government of America.

• was America's first punk rock band.

Drag and Drop

Shays' Rebellion (1786-87) was a ​

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by American farmers due to heavy ​

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and taxes, highlighting ​

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in the Articles of Confederation and leading to a stronger ​

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government.

Drag these tiles and drop them in the correct blank above

revolt

debts

weaknesses

federal

Multiple Choice

What were the main reasons for Shays' Rebellion in 1786?

• Farmers couldn't pay debts or taxes

• The national government had a strong army

• Daniel Shays was a wealthy landowner

• The rebellion was supported by the British

Match

Match the following weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation with their corresponding descriptions:

• No power to regulate commerce or levy taxes

• No executive branch

• Lack of army

This prevented the government from raising revenue to pay off debts or fund national projects.

This meant that the federal government could not regulate trade or foreign policy.

This left the new nation without a unified military force to protect against threats.

• This prevented the government from raising revenue to pay off debts or fund national projects.

• This meant that the federal government could not regulate trade or foreign policy.

• This left the new nation without a unified military force to protect against threats.

Match

Match the following

• No standing army

• Can't levy taxes

• 9 of 13 to pass laws

• Can't regulate interstate commerce

• No executive branch

No way to stop rebellions or outside attacks

Gov. is broke

Too hard to pass laws

National economy suffers

Can't enforce laws

• No way to stop rebellions or outside attacks

• Gov. is broke

• Too hard to pass laws

• National economy suffers

• Can't enforce laws

Drag and Drop

One major problem with the Articles of Confederation is that Congress could not ______ the citizens to raise money.

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Drag these tiles and drop them in the correct blank above

tax

ask

demand

force

Poll

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