The
Articles of Confederation
The
United States of America, as of 2023, has operated under
the same constitution for 234 years.
The
Constitution of the United States (COTUS), with its familiar House,
Senate, and
President, has been amended 27 times, litigated thousands of times, and
analyzed in hundreds of books, articles, documentaries, and podcasts.
American students are required to pass a test
on the COTUS in order to graduate high school.
The COTUS,
however, is our second constitution, not our
first. Before the COTUS, there were the
Articles of Confederation. They lasted
for just eight years, from 1781 to 1789, not for 234. They
have been but little analyzed, seldom
litigated, and mostly forgotten. But,
they are full of interesting stories.
This site seeks to keep their memory alive. Click on the
links to enter the world of
the Articles of Confederation, the first constitution of the United
States.
Why care about the Articles of
Confederation? Some introductory thoughts.
How did the Articles work?
Confederation basics, how elections took place, and how
Congress
voted.
How were the Articles created?
Learn who wrote the Articles, how they were ratified, and why
the process took almost five years.
What did Congress do?
The many and surprising accomplishments of the government
under the Articles.
Was the
government as broke as historians say? Click here to learn
about finances
under the Articles.
Interesting things about the Articles:
The infamous 3/5 clause, the "perpetual" in Perpetual Union, and more.
Ending Government under the Articles:
The transition to the COTUS in 1789.
© 2019
Clionic Enterprises | External link to the text
of the Articles of Confederation |