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Oct 27, 2009 · Weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation. The weakness of the Articles of Confederation was that Congress was not strong enough to enforce laws or raise taxes, making it...
Not only did all amendments have to be ratified by each of the thirteen states, but all important legislation needed the approval of nine states. With several delegations often absent, one or two states were able to defeat legislative proposals of major importance.
The weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation became apparent to all as a result of an uprising of Massachusetts farmers known as Shays’s Rebellion. In the summer of 1786, farmers in western Massachusetts were heavily in debt, facing imprisonment and the loss of their lands.
A high-level overview of the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation, which led states to call for a convention to revise or replace them.
The Articles consciously established a weak federal government, affording it only those powers the former colonies had recognized as belonging to king and parliament. The document provided clearly written rules for how the states' league of friendship, known as the Perpetual Union, would be organized.
Adopted by the Continental Congress on November 15, 1777, and ratified by the states in 1781, the Articles of Confederation created a weak central government—a “league of friendship”—that largely preserved state power (and independence).
With the passage of time, weaknesses in the Articles of Confederation became apparent; Congress commanded little respect and no support from state governments anxious to maintain their power. Congress could not raise funds, regulate trade, or conduct foreign policy without the voluntary agreement of the states.
