Articles of Confederation
Assigned by 2 of the 9 reading lists, catalogue entry only
- Written
- drafted 1777, ratified 1781
- Language
- English
- Length
- Short · 15 ppunder 120 pages
- Difficulty
- Approachable1 of 5 for a first-year reader
We recommendArticles of ConfederationNational Archives (online)The official transcription is free; it is also printed in most editions of the Federalist and in the Library of America's Debate on the Constitution.
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The first constitution of the United States, adopted by the Continental Congress in November 1777 and in force from 1781 to 1789. Its thirteen articles create a league of friendship among sovereign states with a single-chamber Congress in which each state has one vote. Congress may make war and treaties but cannot tax, regulate commerce or compel the states, and amendments require unanimity. Its weaknesses drove the calling of the Philadelphia Convention of 1787.
No reading guide yet
The catalogue entry above is complete: the dates, the form, the themes and every program that assigns Articles of Confederation are verified against each program's published list.
What is missing is the part that takes real work: the summary, the key passages, and a recommended translation. The edition named below is the one most programs assign, so the buy links are useful already.
