Articles Of Confederation Flashcards, test questions and answers

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What is Articles Of Confederation?

The Articles of Confederation was the first document to create a union between the 13 states of America which was ratified in 1781. This document set forth certain rules that were to be followed by all members of the union and would guide them in forming one government. It was developed as a way for the newly formed country to maintain its independence, yet still provide some form of governing body that could address issues that arose between each state. The Articles created a loose confederation under which each state retained its autonomy, but at the same time agreed to abide by an overarching governing system. One of the main problems with this first attempt at unifying America was that it did not grant sufficient power and authority to the central government. Under this document, Congress had no power to tax or regulate commerce between states, nor did it have any authority over foreign relations or military activities. As such, it also lacked enforcement powers and could not ensure compliance with its decisions from other states, making it difficult for Congress to effectively govern. In addition, states were free to set up their own currency systems and issue debt without authorization from Congress which caused further economic instability in some areas. One major accomplishment of the Articles was granting freedom of movement within America’s borders; citizens who wished to move from one state to another were allowed do so without having any sort of passport or visa restriction being placed upon them by their home state or destination. The creation of a unitary system also meant that citizens would have legal rights throughout all thirteen states regardless if they had decided on different laws on certain topics such as marriage or religion within their own borders. Although there were many accomplishments and successes with this initial attempt at establishing a unified nation under one government, many aspects needed improvement which eventually led up to replacing it with our current Constitution in 1787. The most notable problem addressed by this new Constitution was giving more power and authority back into the hands of federal government allowing them implement laws across all states as well as taxation powers for revenue generation purposes; both aspects lacking under previous documents like Articles Of Confederation. With these changes enacted ,the United States has been able survive wars , economic downturns , civil unrests , etc. proving how successful our current Union is today .