his 101

As an adult, I realized that people don't usually spend their energy and emotion creating things that they know aren't going to work out. They do the best they can with the materials they have and the knowledge they have at the time, to fit the situation they are currently in. That is true of the Articles of Confederation. At the same time the committee led by Thomas Jefferson was writing the Declaration of  Independence , a committee headed by John Dickinson was charged with creating a government for the new nation. 

Your question for today is: "Why did they come up with THIS government, and why didn't it work?"  Use your readings and the resources provided to figure out some answers.

Question 1

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What is implied by calling this government a "confederation"? What relationship does the document imply between the various states?

Question 2

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The Articles described what would be the first non-British government over all the former colonies. In your own words, describe the parts of this government. Then, explain where the three main "powers of government" - Creation of law, Execution of law, and Interpretation of law - reside in those parts.

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Article 9 lists powers that were given to the  federal  government. Examine these, and then GENERALIZE about the kinds of powers the government had - no more than 3 major areas of power.

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Question 4

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Think about a comparison between how the colonies were governed by Britain (Monarch and Parliament) and the government they created for themselves. In what ways - point to specific elements - did the Articles address complaints the colonists had about the British government?

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The Library of Congress exhibit points out several developments or events in the 1780s that revealed weaknesses in the Articles - that is, things that the writers did not expect or did not  account  for. Please identify TWO of these events, with dates, and explain the weakness they exposed.

Question 6

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In your own words, please explain why the Articles were not successful in the long term as a government for the United States.