Erin+G.



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Disadvantages of the Article of confederation The Articles **denied Congress the power to collect taxes, regulate interstate commerce and enforce laws.** Restricted the power of government. Fearful of another king, the American colonists wanted a //government// that would serve //them//, not the other way around. Distrust of the power of the government made for very weak colonial governments. And as the war went on, the Americans realized that they needed some form of central government to deal with things like paying soldiers and negotiating with other countries. The result was the Articles of Confederation.


 * How they worked:

Americans developed the articles of confederation as their first attempt at government. Obviously we had just fought a war to release ourselves from a tyrant kind who abused his power and took advantage of us (or at least that is how we saw it). So when we began our new government we wanted to be sure that no one person would ever be able to gain that much power and take advantage of us again. So the articles consisted of an EXTREMELY weak central government giving most powers to the state. Unfortunately, in doing so we created a system that was TOO scattered and TOO weak to work effectively. The articles of confederation worked by giving most power to the state government. The federal government had no control over taxing, interstate trade, military, or coining money. Furthermore there was no judicial branch of government, so the federal government could make laws, but they had no one to interpret them. They could enforce them, however, they were so weak that in trying ultimately leading to failure, and almost another revolution (see the whiskey rebellion). They described America not as being a unified country, but rather a loose association of states.**