weaknesses of the articles of confederation kathryn carlson pd. 3
TRANSCRIPT
Background● First written Constitution of the
United States● Adopted by the Continental
Congress on November 15th, 1777
● Ratified by the thirteen states did not occur until March 1st, 1781
● Created a loose confederation of states and a weak central government
Weaknesses● No power to tax● No national military● No independent judicial system● No power to enforce laws● … and many more
No Power to Tax
● Congress had to request funds from states
● Congress struggled to pay off foreign debts
● Revenue stream was unpredictable so a national budget was impossible to establish
No National Military
● No power to draft an army
● National government had to rely on state militia
● Could not respond to internal and external threats efficiently
No Independent Judicial System
● No national system of courts
● States could overturn national actions
● Individuals could not file complaints against the national government
No Power to Enforce Laws
● No executive branch● Congress had power
to pass laws, but not to enforce them
● States could ignore laws without fear of retribution
Bibliography● http://www.loc.gov/rr/program/bib/ourdocs/articles.html● http://www.history.com/topics/articles-of-confederation● http://americanhistory.about.com/od/governmentandpolitics/f/art
icles_of_confederation_fails.htm● http://www.ushistoryscene.com/uncategorized/articlesofconfeder
ation/