Confederation period

High school (ages 12+)
History & Culture

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Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/confederation-period

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is Confederation period known for?Northwest Ordinance of 1787, establishing a framework for territorial governance and expansion
2. What is the governing document?Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union (1781-1789)
3. What is the primary governmental weakness?Inability to levy taxes and regulate interstate/foreign commerce
4. What was the Articles of Confederation?It was a set of rules that made the states friends but gave them most power, leaving the national government very weak.
5. Why couldn't the national government collect taxes?Congress could only ask each state for money, and many states did not give enough, so the government had no money.

Sovereignty: Supreme power or authority, often referring to the ultimate right to govern.
Unicameral Legislature: A legislative body composed of only one chamber or house.
Federal System: A form of government where power is divided between a central government and regional governments (states).