The Articles of Confederation and Key Historical Documents

What was the first government of the United States?

• The U.S. Constitution

• The Articles of Confederation

• The Declaration of Independence

• The Bill of Rights

Why was the national government weak under the Articles of Confederation?

• It was not based on a written document.

• It gave too much power to the individual states.

• It had too many different leaders.

• It was too expensive to operate.

The division of power between the national government and the states is known as:

• A. Popular Sovereignty

• B. Rule of Law

• C. Federalism

• D. Limited Government

The Articles of Confederation is an early example of which principle?

• Due process

• Popular sovereignty

• Separation of church and state

• Federalism

Under the Articles of Confederation, who had the most power?

• The national government

• The individual states

• The military

• The President

The Founding Fathers created a weak national government under the Articles of Confederation out of a fear of:

• High taxes

• A powerful central authority

• Losing trade with other countries

• The people

Which of the following was a main weakness of the Articles of Confederation?

• It gave the national government too much power.

• It did not allow for a national military.

• It failed to address the issue of slavery.

• It could not enforce laws or collect taxes effectively.

Did the Articles of Confederation have a president?

• Yes, a powerful one

• Yes, but with limited power

• No, it did not have a president

• Only in times of war

What document replaced the Articles of Confederation?

• The Bill of Rights

• The Declaration of Independence

• The U.S. Constitution

• The Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom

The Articles of Confederation failed because it gave too much power to:

• The President

• The Supreme Court

• The individual states

• The military