The Articles of Confederation were the first set of rules for the United States, adopted in 1781. But they also showed some big problems that made people want to create a new set of rules, which became the U.S. Constitution in 1787. Here are some important lessons we learned from the Articles:
Problems with the Articles of Confederation:
No Central Power: The federal government couldn’t collect taxes. This caused serious money issues. For example, they couldn't pay off their debts from the Revolutionary War.
Trade Problems: Each state could charge extra fees on goods coming from other states. This created a mess for the economy. It made trading between states harder and encouraged competition instead of teamwork.
No National Courts: There wasn’t a system to solve arguments between states or to enforce laws. This caused confusion because laws were interpreted differently in different places.
Changing the Rules Was Hard: To change any part of the Articles, all 13 states had to agree. This made fixing problems very difficult.
Moving to the Constitution:
More Power for the Federal Government: The Constitution gave Congress the ability to collect taxes and oversee trade between states. This helped solve many money problems.
A Strong Leader: With the Constitution, we got a president, which allowed for clear and strong leadership.
Court System: The Constitution set up a federal court system. This helped in interpreting laws and sorting out disagreements.
In short, moving from the Articles of Confederation to the Constitution was a crucial step towards building a stronger and better national government.
The Articles of Confederation were the first set of rules for the United States, adopted in 1781. But they also showed some big problems that made people want to create a new set of rules, which became the U.S. Constitution in 1787. Here are some important lessons we learned from the Articles:
Problems with the Articles of Confederation:
No Central Power: The federal government couldn’t collect taxes. This caused serious money issues. For example, they couldn't pay off their debts from the Revolutionary War.
Trade Problems: Each state could charge extra fees on goods coming from other states. This created a mess for the economy. It made trading between states harder and encouraged competition instead of teamwork.
No National Courts: There wasn’t a system to solve arguments between states or to enforce laws. This caused confusion because laws were interpreted differently in different places.
Changing the Rules Was Hard: To change any part of the Articles, all 13 states had to agree. This made fixing problems very difficult.
Moving to the Constitution:
More Power for the Federal Government: The Constitution gave Congress the ability to collect taxes and oversee trade between states. This helped solve many money problems.
A Strong Leader: With the Constitution, we got a president, which allowed for clear and strong leadership.
Court System: The Constitution set up a federal court system. This helped in interpreting laws and sorting out disagreements.
In short, moving from the Articles of Confederation to the Constitution was a crucial step towards building a stronger and better national government.