Articles of Confederation

Americas first constitution, too weak to hold the union together.

Overview

In force from March 1781 until replaced in 1789, the Articles of Confederation created a loose league of sovereign states with no power to tax, regulate commerce, or compel state compliance. Congress could declare war and conduct diplomacy but relied on state requisitions for money, and unanimity was needed for amendments. Shays Rebellion in 1786 and 1787 exposed the inability to maintain order, driving the Philadelphia Convention of 1787 that exceeded its mandate and drafted an entirely new constitution. The Articles remain the great American lesson in designing too weak a center.