The Articles of Confederation

Multiple Choice

What was the first governing document of the United States of America?

• Articles of Confederation
• Federalist Papers
• Declaration of Independence
• Constitution of 1787

Multiple Choice

Describe the Articles of Confederation-

• The Articles of Confederation were the first constitution of the U.S., creating a weak central government and granting most powers to the states.
• The Articles of Confederation were the second constitution of the U.S., focusing on economic control.
• The Articles of Confederation were a treaty between the U.S. and foreign nations.
• The Articles of Confederation established a strong federal government with extensive powers.

Multiple Select

What branches(s) of Government existed under the Articles of confederation?

• Executive

• Legislative

• Judicial

• Confederation

Open Ended

What was the weakness of the branches of government under the articles of confederation?

Multiple Choice

What is State sovereignty?

• State sovereignty refers to the economic independence of a nation.
• State sovereignty is the idea that states must follow international laws strictly.
• State sovereignty is the principle that a state has the ultimate authority over its territory and domestic affairs.
• State sovereignty is the concept of shared power among multiple states.

Multiple Choice

What are some powers held by states under the Articles of Confederation that the Federal government had no control over?

• States were allowed to print money, impose tariffs, regulate air travel, and manage national defense.
• States could regulate trade, taxes, and create their own laws.

• States had the authority to create treaties, manage postal services, establish courts, and control education.
• States could declare war, issue passports, regulate immigration, and conduct foreign relations.

Multiple Choice

Under the Articles of Confederation, what was needed to amend the articles?

• A simple majority of nine states was needed to amend the articles.
• A two-thirds vote from the Congress was required to amend the articles.
• Only the approval of the President was necessary to amend the articles.
• A unanimous vote from all thirteen states was needed to amend the articles.

Open Ended

Under the Articles of Confederation each state had 1 vote in Congress. What do you see as being an issue with this idea?

Multiple Choice

How did the Articles of confederation benefit the U.S. during the Revolutionary War?

• The Articles of Confederation allowed for direct taxation to fund the military efforts.
• The Articles of Confederation helped unify the colonies, coordinate military efforts, and secure foreign alliances during the Revolutionary War.
• The Articles of Confederation provided a framework for a national bank that would fund the loyalist during the war.

• The Articles of Confederation established a strong central government for the colonies to rely on during the war.

Multiple Choice

What was the Northwest Ordinance of 1787?

• The Northwest Ordinance of 1787 created a treaty with Native American tribes.

• The Northwest Ordinance of 1787 established a military draft for settlers.
• The Northwest Ordinance of 1787 created a national bank for the territories to rely on funding and financial aid.

• The Northwest Ordinance of 1787 established governance for the Northwest Territory and outlined the process for admitting new states to the Union.

Open Ended

Why was it important that the Articles protected state liberty and against centralized tyranny?

Multiple Choice

How did the Articles of Confederation assist in National issues?

• The Articles of Confederation assisted in national issues by promoting cooperation among states and managing defense.

• The Articles of Confederation focused solely on economic policies without addressing defense.
• The Articles of Confederation limited state powers to prevent any form of cooperation.
• The Articles of Confederation created a strong central government to enforce laws.

Multiple Choice

Why did the Federal government of the U.S. struggle financially under the Articles of Confederation?

• The Federal government had too many taxes imposed by the states.
• The Federal government was funded by foreign loans and investments that often became delinquent.

• The Federal government had a surplus of revenue from trade tariffs.
• The Federal government lacked the power to tax and relied on voluntary state contributions.

Multiple Choice

Why was it problematic that the Articles of Confederation did not include an Executive Branch of Government?

• It did not provide a clear system for electing representatives and had no power to interpret laws.

• It allowed for a strong central government to manage conflicts.
• It ensured that states had complete control over their laws.
• It created a weak government unable to enforce laws or respond effectively to national issues.

Multiple Choice

Why was it problematic that the Articles of Confederation did not include a Judicial Branch of Government?

• It ensured that all states followed their own legal systems.
• It created inconsistencies in law enforcement and lacked a unified legal framework.
• It allowed for arbitrary interpretations of laws by states.
• It prevented any form of legal disputes from being resolved without intervention from the executive branch.

Open Ended

What was the difficulty with passing laws and making amendments under the Articles of Confederation?

Multiple Choice

What was the issue with interstate trade under the Articles of Confederation?

• States freely traded without restrictions, boosting the economy.
• The issue with interstate trade was that states imposed tariffs and trade barriers, disrupting commerce.
• Interstate trade was regulated by a strong federal government that provided many challenges for the states.

• All states agreed on uniform trade laws, that would prevent disputes but got overruled by the Federal government.

Multiple Choice

What event proved the articles of Confederation lacked the ability to respond to internal crises.

• Whiskey Rebellion
• Shays' Rebellion
• Boston Tea Party
• Pueblo Revolt

Open Ended

What lesson did Shay's Rebellion teach us about the Articles of Confederation?

Multiple Choice

Why didn't the U.S. have any foreign bargaining power under the Articles of Confederation?

• The U.S. lacked a strong central government that enforces treaties, pay debts, or provide international regulations.

• The Articles of Confederation did not have effective foreign relations because of wars that created harsh international relationships.

• The U.S. had no alliances or bargaining power and lacked support from states that didn't want to promote economic prosperity.

• The U.S. was recognized as a global power under the Articles of Confederation and unable to gain support from countries who felt inferior and afraid of becoming economically dependent on the U.S.