Articles of Confederation Approved: First U.S. Constitution
The Continental Congress approved the Articles of Confederation on November 15, 1777, after 16 months of debate over how to balance state sovereignty with national authority. The Articles created a 'firm league of friendship' among the thirteen states but deliberately kept the central government weak. Congress could wage war, negotiate treaties, and manage relations with Native nations, but it couldn't tax citizens, regulate commerce, or enforce its own laws. Each state had one vote regardless of population. Nine of thirteen states had to approve any major legislation. Amendment required unanimity. The system worked well enough to win the Revolution and negotiate the Treaty of Paris, but its weaknesses became crippling during peacetime. Shays' Rebellion in 1786-87 exposed the government's inability to respond to domestic crisis and convinced enough leaders to call the Constitutional Convention.
November 15, 1777
249 years ago
Key Figures & Places
American Revolutionary War
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Continental Congress
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Articles of Confederation
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American Revolutionary War
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Continental Congress
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Articles of Confederation
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Philadelphia
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Second Continental Congress
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Constitutional Convention (United States)
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History of the United States
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