INDIVISIBLE
Confronting Enduring Legacies of Division in American History
THE CONFEDERATION GOVERNMENT
Winning the American Revolution allowed the United States of America to focus on creating a stable foundation for their independent nation. Our first attempt at a government, however, was a failure.
KENNETH
Learn about the failure of the Articles of Confederation through economic and political perspectives. Also see how the failure impacted the citizens of the US.
KAT
The image to the left is a political cartoon set to take place in America around 1780. The house (the United States of America) is being destroyed by the fire (the Articles of Confederation). The only way to save the house is to put out the fire with a fire extinguisher (the Constitution). This is meant to symbolize the destruction of America through the Articles of Confederation. The individual flames represent the problems of the Articles of Confederation. The Constitution was America’s saving grace. However, it is still being challenged today and amendments are constantly suggested.
Take a moment to imagine your life if the Constitution had never been adopted. How do you think America would have fared? How would your personal life be affected? To learn about the differences between the Constitution and the Articles of Confederation, click here. To read the original Articles of Confederation and the Constitution to compare them side-by-side, click here. As you are reading, ask yourself what specific laws are being questioned today. How would the Articles of Confederation address the ongoing issues in our nation? Is there something that YOU would add or change?
The flames read: No power to collect taxes, No power to enforce treaties, No national court system, No power to enforce laws, No power to raise an army, Government couldn’t pay debt, Document was difficult to amend, Congress could not regulate trade, Weak central government, States conducted individual foreign policies, Failing national currency,