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What Was The Weaknesses Of The Articles Of Confederation

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The Article of Confederation was ratified in 1781. This Article was part of the formation of a national government in the United States. But, by 1787, a reform convention was held to address the Article’s weaknesses. This event also brought about tension in the country between two groups, the Federalists and Antifederalists. Federalists were a group of people that advocated for a system of government, while Antifederalists opposed the creation of a stronger America. The Article of Confederation was designed as a loose confederation of 13 states, and reflected principles of the Declaration of Independence. But, difficulties began to arise with the new Constitution when economic weakness and farmers revolt proved the Article was a poor form of government, along with opposing views from Federalists and Antifederalists, verifying that an inadequate document had been created. The historical cartoon titled “Rough Sailing Ahead”, gives a visual of how the Article of Confederation suffered from economic weakness. One of the most significant flaws was the lack of power to enforce laws. With this defect, there was subsequently no power to enforce treaties, have a national court system, or to collect taxes. The inability to collect taxes was what largely contributed to the economic weakness. Weakness also stemmed from the lack of uniform currency in the country. Then, government was left to rely only on financial contributions from the states to uphold an economy. But, with

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