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Articles of Confederation

Definition

The Articles of Confederation was the first constitution of the United States, adopted by Congress in 1777 and ratified by the states in 1781. It established a weak central government that had limited power over the states.

Analogy

Think of the Articles of Confederation like a group project where everyone is supposed to work together, but there's no clear leader. Everyone does their own thing, and it's hard to get anything done efficiently.

Related terms

Shays' Rebellion: A rebellion led by Daniel Shays in Massachusetts from 1786-1787, protesting against economic and civil rights injustices. This event highlighted weaknesses in the Articles of Confederation.

Constitutional Convention: A meeting held in Philadelphia in 1787 where delegates from twelve states rewrote the Articles into what became the U.S. Constitution.

Federalism: A system of government where power is divided between a national (federal) government and various regional governments. This concept was introduced as an alternative to the weak central government under the Articles.