Articles of Confederation Test
Name: ___________________________________
1. What was the name of the first constitution (form of government) that America adopted in 1781?
2. The original Articles of Confederation written in 1777 created a national government that was very ____________.
However, the Articles of Confederation was revised in 1781 to make the national government ________.
3. Did small farmers and workers want a strong or weak national government? AND why did they want the
government to be that way?
4. Who wanted the government to be strong? AND why did they want it to be strong?
5. Why did people fear a strong national government?
6. Which of the following was NOT a weakness under the Articles of Confederation?
A. America elected a president.
B. States had all the power.
C. There was no army.
D. Congress could not collect taxes.
7. Which of the following was NOT a weakness under the Articles of Confederation?
A. Each state only had 1 vote.
B. 9 out of 13 states had to agree to pass a law.
C. Congress made laws, but states did not enforce them.
D. Congress controlled trade.
8. Which of the following WAS a weakness under the Articles of Confederation?
A. America elected a president.
B. Continental Paper (National Government money) was worthless because each state printed their own.
C. Congress controlled trade.
D. Each state only had 1 vote.
9. Which of the following WAS a weakness under the Articles of Confederation?
A. Congress could not collect taxes.
B. State governments had no power.
C. Only Continental Paper (National Government money) could be used.
D. America had a strong army.
10. Why was it such a risk for America not to have an army under the Articles of Confederation?
11. Why didn’t Americans want an army after the Revolutionary War (hint: think about the experiences they had with
military in the past)?
12. What document did delegates write to replace the Articles of Confederation in May of 1787?
13. ____________ America was a strong nation under the Articles of Confederation.
14. ____________ People feared a strong National Government in America right after the war.
15. ____________ Large Landowners and Wealthy Politicians wanted a weak government.
16. ____________ Small Farmers and Workers wanted a weak government.
17. ____________ Under the Articles of Confederation America was falling apart as states became divided.
18. On the map below CIRCLE the area on the map that made up America in the 1700s.
BONUS:
Where did the delegates meet to write the Constitution?
What does the word levy mean?
The words ratify and revised mean the same thing. Define them in your own words.