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Amendments to the Articles

Definition

These were changes made to the original Articles of Confederation, which was the first constitution of the United States. The amendments aimed at addressing weaknesses in the original document.

Analogy

Think of these amendments like software updates for your phone. Just as developers release updates to fix bugs and improve functionality, so too did America's founding fathers amend the Articles to address its shortcomings and make it more effective.

Related terms

Constitutional Convention (1787): This was a meeting held in Philadelphia where delegates from 12 states gathered to revise the Articles of Confederation. Instead, they ended up drafting a new constitution.

Federalism: This is a system of government where power is divided between a central authority and constituent political units, such as states. It was one of the key principles incorporated into the U.S Constitution through these amendments.

Bill of Rights: These are the first ten amendments to the U.S Constitution that guarantee certain rights and freedoms to American citizens. They were added as part of efforts to address concerns about individual liberties under federalism.