The Articles of Confederation

America’s First Government*

This week in history six different states ratified the Articles of Confederation. The Articles were the United States’ first (and failed) form of government, before the Constitution was written. South Carolina, Rhode Island, New York, and Connecticut all signed between February 5th and 12th, 1778, not three months after the Articles were completed. Delaware ratified them a year later, on Feb. 1, 1779, and Maryland held out until Feb. 2, 1781, over a land dispute.

The Articles had been designed to avoid a strong central government (such as the one America had just escaped), but it quickly became clear that the federal government lacked the strength to act in any meaningful way. Just five years later, discussion was afoot to amend the Articles. The conversation quickly turned to outlining an entirely new form on government in 1787. In 1788, the current Constitution of the United States was ratified.

But did you know…

…although the Articles only lasted seven years and didn’t have an executive branch, America went through ten “presidents of Congress”? Or that Congress printed so much money to combat its lack of a tax base that their currency became worthless, leading to the phrase “not worth a continental”?

Either way, if you’re interested in the King whose (supposed) tyranny shaped the Articles of Confederation, or just early American history, we’ve got you covered! We have George III (in two different packages), and coins from early America (so early it was Dutch, not British) , classic moments of the Revolution, and the long-term aftermath. 

*Someone suggested that this post should be called “Things America tried that Did Not Work” instead, and that I should follow it up with a post about the League of Nations. If you’re reading this, thank you for bearing with me.