Articles of Confederation Overview

The first government plan of the United States, established in 1777. It created a weak central government with limited powers and gave most authority to the states.

The Articles of Confederation granted the national government limited powers such as managing foreign affairs, raising an army and navy, borrowing money, and establishing a postal system. However, it lacked the power to tax or regulate commerce.

The Articles of Confederation lacked essential powers, such as the ability to tax, regulate commerce, and enforce laws effectively. This led to a weak and ineffective central government that struggled to address pressing national challenges.

A meeting of delegates from 12 states (except Rhode Island) in Philadelphia in 1787 to revise the Articles of Confederation. The delegates ended up creating a new constitution, establishing a stronger national government.

A proposal for a strong national government with three branches (legislative, executive, and judicial) and a two-house legislature with representation based on population. This plan favored larger states.

A proposal for a weaker national government with three branches and a one-house legislature where each state had equal representation regardless of population. This plan favored smaller states.

A compromise reached at the Constitutional Convention that created a bicameral (two-house) legislature: the House of Representatives with representation based on population and the Senate with equal representation for each state.

A compromise that counted each enslaved person as 3/5 of a free person for both taxation and representation in the House of Representatives, satisfying Southern states who wanted to include slaves in their population counts.

The Articles lacked essential powers, such as the ability to tax, regulate commerce, and enforce laws effectively, leading to a weak and ineffective central government. It struggled to address national challenges and maintain order among the states.

The Great Compromise resolved the conflict between large and small states over representation in Congress by creating a bicameral legislature with representation based on both population (House of Representatives) and equality (Senate). This ensured the balance of power and preserved the unity of the newly formed nation.