Articles of Confederation — Mr. Rogers AP Gov

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Historical Context Structure of Government What It Could Do The Critical Failures Shays' Rebellion AP Exam Connections

U.S. Constitution Federalist No. 51 Unit 1 Overview

Unit 1

Articles of Confederation

Continental Congress · Drafted 1777 · Ratified March 1, 1781 · Replaced 1789

Historical Context

The Articles of Confederation were America's first constitution — ratified in 1781, replaced by the current Constitution in 1789. They are important on the AP exam not primarily for what they said but for what they couldn't do. Understanding the Articles means understanding the problems they created, which in turn explains why the Constitution was designed the way it was.

The Articles reflected the colonists' deep fear of centralized authority after their experience under the British Crown. They deliberately created a weak central government — a "league of friendship" among sovereign states — with almost no independent power. Congress had to ask states for money, couldn't enforce its own laws, and couldn't stop states from undermining each other's trade agreements.

The breaking point came with Shays' Rebellion (1786-87): debt-ridden farmers in Massachusetts took up arms against the state government. The national government was powerless to respond. This convinced key leaders — especially Washington, Madison, and Hamilton — that the Articles had to go. The Constitutional Convention of 1787 was called to revise the Articles; instead, it wrote an entirely new document.

I. The Structure — A League, Not a Government

Each state retains its sovereignty, freedom, and independence, and every power, jurisdiction, and right, which is not by this Confederation expressly delegated to the United States, in Congress assembled. (Article II)

States Retain All Power

This is the foundational principle of the Articles: states are sovereign. The national government only has powers explicitly granted to it — everything else stays with the states. Compare this to the Constitution's Necessary and Proper Clause, which implies broad federal power. The contrast is stark and intentional.

The United States in Congress assembled shall have authority... to build and equip a navy; to agree upon the number of land forces, and to make requisitions from each state for its quota... but in determining these questions... the vote of nine States shall be necessary. (Article IX)

Supermajority for Everything

Important decisions required 9 of 13 states (a supermajority). Amending the Articles required unanimous consent of all 13 — which is why they couldn't be fixed. Even on routine matters, getting 9 states to agree was nearly impossible when their interests conflicted.

II. What the Articles Could Do

Congress under the Articles could: declare war and make peace, send and receive ambassadors, enter into treaties, coin money, run a postal service, manage relations with Native American tribes, and govern the territory northwest of the Ohio River (the Northwest Ordinance of 1787 was passed under the Articles — one of its genuine successes).

The Successes

The Articles were not entirely useless. The Northwest Ordinance (1787) established the process for admitting new states and prohibited slavery in the Northwest Territory — a real achievement. Congress also successfully ended the Revolutionary War via the Treaty of Paris (1783). Know these successes to give a balanced answer on the AP exam.

III. The Critical Failures — Why It Had to Go

❌ No Power to Tax

Congress could only request money from states — it couldn't collect taxes directly. States routinely ignored these requests. The national government was perpetually broke and couldn't pay war debts or soldiers.

Constitution Fix: Article I, Section 8 — Congress has power to tax

❌ No Regulation of Commerce

States taxed each other's goods, created trade barriers, and made competing deals with foreign nations. There was no uniform national economic policy.

Constitution Fix: Commerce Clause — Congress regulates interstate commerce

❌ No Executive Branch

There was no president, no executive authority. Congress made decisions but had no mechanism to enforce them. Laws were suggestions, not commands.

Constitution Fix: Article II creates the executive branch

❌ No National Court System

No federal courts to interpret national law or resolve disputes between states. Each state's courts applied their own law, often conflicting with each other.

Constitution Fix: Article III creates the federal judiciary

❌ No Power to Raise an Army

Congress could request troops from states but couldn't compel them. States had their own militias with their own loyalties. No reliable national defense.

Constitution Fix: Congress has power to raise armies; President is commander-in-chief

❌ Unanimity Required to Amend

All 13 states had to agree to any changes. One state could block any reform. This made the Articles impossible to fix even when everyone knew they were failing.

Constitution Fix: Article V — 3/4 of states needed to amend

IV. Shays' Rebellion — The Breaking Point

In 1786-87, Daniel Shays — a Revolutionary War veteran — led an armed uprising of debt-ridden Massachusetts farmers against the state government and its courts. The farmers were losing their farms to debt collectors and saw no legal recourse. The national government under the Articles was powerless to respond. Congress had no army to send, no money to raise one, and no authority to compel Massachusetts to act. The rebellion was eventually suppressed by a private militia hired by Massachusetts merchants.

Why It Mattered

Shays' Rebellion was the alarm bell. It demonstrated that the national government couldn't maintain order, couldn't protect property rights, and couldn't respond to domestic emergencies. Washington wrote in a letter: "We are fast verging to anarchy and confusion." This fear — that the new nation would fall apart — drove the Constitutional Convention of 1787.

AP Exam Connections

THE ARTICLES AS CONTEXT FOR EVERYTHING THAT CAME AFTER

Every feature of the Constitution makes more sense when you understand the Articles. Why does Congress have the power to tax? Because the national government was broke under the Articles. Why is there a president? Because the Articles had no executive. Why is the Commerce Clause so broad? Because states were strangling interstate trade. Why does the amendment process require only 3/4 of states instead of all of them? Because unanimous consent made the Articles unamendable. The Constitution is a response to specific, documented failures. Know the failures, and the Constitution's design becomes logical rather than arbitrary.

WHAT THE EXAM TESTS

At least 3-5 specific weaknesses of the Articles
How specific Constitution provisions fixed specific Article failures
Shays' Rebellion as catalyst for the Convention
Why states' rights advocates (Anti-Federalists) preferred the Articles

COMMON MISTAKES

Saying the Articles had NO power — they could declare war, make treaties, and passed the Northwest Ordinance
Forgetting the amendment unanimity rule — this is why they couldn't be fixed
Confusing the Articles with the Constitution — they are separate documents

EXAM FOCUS

The AP exam loves to ask you to identify specific weaknesses of the Articles and connect them to specific Constitution provisions. Have at least 5 weakness → fix pairs memorized. Also know Shays' Rebellion as the event that convinced leaders the Articles had to be replaced.

Quick Facts

RatifiedMarch 1, 1781

ReplacedMarch 4, 1789

One CongressNo executive, no courts

Amendment RuleUnanimous — all 13 states

What Congress COULD Do

✓ Declare war and make peace

✓ Make treaties

✓ Coin money

✓ Run postal service

✓ Northwest Ordinance (1787)