Articles of Confederation
First Continental Congress, 1777 — First Governing Document; Power Concentrated in States
Basic Information
Author: First Continental Congress · Year: 1777 (Ratified 1781)
Main Topic: First governing document that concentrated more power in the states. This is a Required Source on the Argument Essay FRQ.
Memory Tricks
"Articles = Awful" — No taxes, no court, no executive. The Articles were intentionally weak because colonists feared a strong central government (like Britain's).
"Shays' Rebellion = Death of Articles" — When Massachusetts farmers rebelled in 1786 and the national government couldn't stop it, everyone agreed the Articles had failed.
"Articles vs Constitution = Opposite" — Whatever the Articles lacked (taxes, courts, executive, commerce power), the Constitution added.
Bullet Point Summary
Created a loose confederation of states, each with a single vote, and a weak central Congress.
Congress did NOT have the power to regulate foreign and interstate commerce.
Congress did NOT have the ability to enforce tax collections from the states.
Congress did NOT have a central executive or judicial branch.
Congress did NOT have a central standing army — states had their own militias.
Important Quotes
"Each state retains […] every power, jurisdiction, and right, which is not by this Confederation expressly delegated to the United States, in Congress assembled."
"In determining questions in the United States in Congress assembled, each State shall have one vote."
Argument Essay Connections
Document (-)
U.S. Constitution (Articles I, II, III)
Constitution created the strong central government the Articles lacked
Court Case (-)
McCulloch v. Maryland
Federal supremacy is the opposite of the Articles' state-centered power
Unit 1 (-)
Shays' Rebellion
Proved the Articles' weakness — government couldn't maintain order
Unit 3 (+)
22nd Amendment limiting presidential power
Like the Articles, limits executive authority
Unit 5 (-)
Segregation in the South
Weak federal government couldn't protect civil rights — same problem as Articles
Unit 6 (+)
State election systems
Articles gave states control; states still run elections today
Writing Practice
AP-Style Argument Essay Prompt
Develop an argument that evaluates whether a strong central government or state-centered system better protects individual liberty.
- Use the Articles of Confederation as a required source.
- Pair with Federalist No. 51 (supporting central power) OR Brutus No. 1 (supporting states) depending on your thesis.
- Apply evidence from at least one additional unit concept (e.g., Shays' Rebellion, McCulloch v. Maryland).
Tip: The Articles work best as a counter-argument (showing what happens with too little central power) or as the subject of an argument about federal vs. state balance.
Key Takeaways
- First U.S. governing document — intentionally weak central government
- No power to tax, no executive, no courts, no standing army
- Each state had one vote regardless of size
- Failed due to Shays' Rebellion and economic instability — replaced by the Constitution