Articles of Confederation Quiz

In the context of early U.S. government, a “confederation” is best defined as:

• A strong central government with subordinate states

• A monarchy with regional councils

• Sovereign states uniting under a weak central authority

• Direct democracy run by national referendums

Under the Articles’ structure, Congress was:

• Bicameral with proportional representation

• Unicameral with one vote per state

• Tricameral with an executive council

• Unicameral with votes based on population

What made the Northwest Ordinance significant?

• It created a permanent colonial status for western lands

• It banned slavery in new territories and set a path to statehood

• It gave existing slave states immediate emancipation deadlines

• It required territories to pay federal taxes before admission

Why did Shays’ Rebellion become the final “we need a makeover” moment?

• It proved the Articles let Congress raise a huge national army quickly

• Private citizens had to fund a militia because the national gov’t couldn’t act

• The Supreme Court struck down Massachusetts’ emergency powers

• It unified all 13 states behind keeping the Articles unchanged

According to Article II, who held most of the power under the Articles of Confederation?

• The President of the United States

• The national Congress

• The individual states

• The Supreme Court

Which sentence (Article II) shows where most power sits under the Articles of Confederation?

• Congress shall levy taxes directly on citizens.

• Each state retains its sovereignty, freedom, and independence…

• The President shall faithfully execute the laws.

• A national judiciary shall resolve all disputes.

What was the purpose of the “firm league of friendship” in Article III?

• To give Congress power to tax directly

• To unite the states for defense and mutual support

• To create a strong executive branch

• To allow states to make their own foreign treaties

What was required to amend the Articles of Confederation under Article XIII?

• A simple majority of Congress

• Two-thirds of state legislatures

• A unanimous vote of all states

• Approval from the President

Why was the amendment process under the Articles of Confederation considered a weakness?

• It gave too much power to Congress

• It was nearly impossible to get unanimous agreement from all states

• It allowed states to ignore amendments they disliked

• It required approval from foreign governments

Under Article V, how many votes did each state get in Congress?

• Based on population

• One vote per state

• Two votes per state

• Votes based on land size