Our first government................1783-1787.......The Articles of Confederation
Strengths Of The Articles Of Confederation
The Articles of Confederation was a black and white agreement drafted by the 2nd Continental Congress and created in 1777. It was signed and accepted in 1781 by thirteen states.
The Articles were tilted heavily towards the state governments giving the Central government very little power to control the country politically, financially and economically. The central Government could not pass any law even after enforcement. It could only request the state governments for money. Understandably, the States simply ignored or refused the request, plunging the Central Government into completely chaos and turmoil. Although the weaknesses of these Articles were enormous, there were a few positives to extract from the first set of rules complied and signed by all states.
Listed below are some positives of the Articles of Confederation:
Articles managed to draw and unite thirteen different colonies / states under one banner of the United States of America. Although there were minor glitches with a couple of states refusing to sign the Articles, a dream to see a united front ultimately emerged, paving way to a uniform legislature.
Different departments were formed under the Congress giving specific and clearly defined roles to different parties to run the country in a more effective manner. The Department of Treasury, the Department of Postal Service and the Department of Foreign Affairs among others were established.
It promoted a certain sense of coordination and cooperation between different states.
It allowed the Central Government to sign treaties and peace deals with other countries giving rise to a stable neighborhood. The peace treaty with England was one such deal.
The Articles allowed formation of new states that have a population of more than 60,000.
Weakness Of The Articles Of Confederation
The Articles of Confederation was drafted in 1777 and signed in 1781 by thirteen states. It was an initial declaration of an independent United States. It laid down specific guidelines and procedures about various rules and procedures that were to be followed after Independence. The Articles were heavily tilted in favor of the States governments giving the National government very little power to run the country.
Although the Articles did manage to bring about certain positives, its weaknesses greatly overshadowed its strengths. Listed below are a few weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation:
It gave immense power to the State governments. The states had numerous rights to run their State the way they wanted to.
The States were not responsible for paying taxes to the Central Government. They could offer money if they wished. This led to severe bankruptcy of the National Government, which was soon running out of resources to fund its various Departments.
The neighboring countries and foreign nations were very apprehensive to sign a deal or trade with the US given the fragile and weak nature of the National Government.
States could make their own laws and rules. They were not liable to ask the Center for permission.
The Articles did not allow the Central Government to levy taxes on the American citizens. This crippled the country’s financial system.
All major laws in the country required approval of at least nine states in the country. This turned out to be a huge disadvantage on part of the U.S. Congress that found it increasingly tough to get the necessary approval. The country requires approval of nine states to go to war with other countries and even to form an international alliance.