Articles of Confederation

Why was the time right after the Revolutionary War referred to as the 'Critical Period'?

• It was a time of great prosperity for a new nation

• it was a time of vulnerability for a new nation

• it was right after the intolerable acts and colonists were angry

• People were badly injured after the Revolutionary War

The _____ contributed to America's vulnerable state.

• Boston Massacre

• Civil War

• Revolutionary War

• Quartering Act

One reason the Constitution is over 220 years old and still working (as our governing document) is that our government can formally change the document. What is this formal change called?

• an amendment

• a bill

• a law

• an article

What is the idea that our government must share powers between the federal government, and the state governments called?

• dictatorship

• bureaucracy

• federalism

• diplomacy

How were states such as Virginia and Connecticut able to easily pay off war debts, while states like Maryland and Delaware were forced to print paper currency to pay off their debts?

• The larger states agreed to “pool” their debts into one large debt, which would be easier to pay off

• Some states had negotiated agreements with France and Spain to trade exclusively with them, which allowed them to pay off their debts faster than others

• The National Government favored states with larger populations, therefore it was easier for them to pay off their debts.

• Those states with large “land claims” west of the Appalachian Mountains sold these lands or offered them as payments for service in the War.

Why did Maryland originally refuse to ratify the Articles of Confederation when they were first presented to the colonies in 1777?

• They did not like how the Articles of Confederation set up rules limiting slavery in the colonies

• They felt that the Articles of Confederation should have a Bill of Rights

• They did not like how much power the National Government would have over the economy

• They wanted the states with Western land claims to turn those claims over to the National Government

Individual states were allowed to print their own PAPER money and states did not have to accept currency from other states.

• strength

• weakness

Amendments to the Articles required a UNANIMOUS decision

• strength

• weakness

Estimated the value of state and national coinage

• strength

• weakness

Conduct Foreign relations (make treaties)

• strength

• weakness