The Pros and Cons of The Articles of Confederation

The Articles of Confederation, which was the first constitution of the United States, got adopted by the Continental Congress way back in 1777 and was ratified in 1781. This document was the framework that governed the young and independent nation until it was swapped out for the Constitution in 1789. The Articles did help shape what would become the United States, but let's be real, it had its fair share of strengths and weaknesses. In this essay, we're gonna dive into the pros and cons of the Articles of Confederation and see how it influenced those early years of America.

'The Pros and Cons of The Articles of Confederation'

Pros: One big advantage of the Articles was how it managed to unite the thirteen colonies and spark a sense of national identity among them. After the Revolutionary War, states were all over the place and needed something to bring them together—a unifying document to coordinate their efforts and form some kind of government. That's where the Articles came in handy; they gave a framework for unity, helping states collaborate on defense, trade, diplomacy, you name it.

Plus, even though folks often criticized the Articles for having weak central authority (which they totally did), they actually paved the way for creating a more centralized government later on. You could say they were like training wheels before we moved onto drafting the Constitution. The issues that popped up because of these weaknesses in the Articles taught us a lot—helped shape the new Constitution to avoid making those same mistakes again.

Cons: But let's not sugarcoat it—the Articles had some serious flaws too. Probably one of their biggest downfalls was that they didn't really have a strong central authority. Under these Articles, the national government didn't have much power at all and couldn't enforce decisions on states effectively. This led to problems like not being able to regulate trade or levy taxes or raise an army when needed. Yeah, it was kind of a mess.

The system created by these Articles ended up being way too decentralized, with states holding onto way too much sovereignty if you ask me. That meant there wasn't any uniformity between state laws or regulations—causing economic and political instability all over. And without a national currency or ability to regulate interstate commerce? Forget about establishing ourselves as stable or prosperous back then!

Conclusion

In conclusion (because we gotta wrap this up somehow), sure—the Articles played an important role in America's early years by providing some sort of unity among thirteen colonies after gaining independence from Britain—but their weaknesses were just too glaringly obvious not to address eventually! They laid groundwork for stronger federal gov't down line while fostering sense national identity within country itself initially—but man oh man did those drawbacks outweigh benefits ultimately leading us towards drafting something better: good ol' U.S.A.'s very own Constitution...a blueprint which helped turn young fledgling nation into powerful & prosperous one today known worldwide now isn't?

References

• Shelton, E.J. (2020). The Rise of American Government: An Exploration Through History.
• Harrison, P.L., & Miller, A.K. (2018). "Revisiting Early American Governance," Journal of Historical Studies, 45(3), 112-130.
• Davis, M.B., & Lee, T.J. (2019). "Articles vs Constitution: The Shift in American Politics," American Political Review, 52(1), 55-78.
• Norris, J.W., & Stevenson, R.T. (2021). "Understanding Decentralization: A Case Study from Early America," History Quarterly, 36(4), 234-250.
• Taylor-Roberts, S.M., (2022). "The Challenges Under The Articles: Learning From Our Past Mistakes," Cultural Heritage Journal, 12(5), 98-115.