AP US History in 1 Minute Daily: Successes of the Articles of Confederation (Day 58/309)

Welcome to today’s explanation of the Successes of the Articles of Confederation in my series- APUSH in 1 Minute Daily!

General George Washington Resigning His Commission to the Confederation Congress, Wikimedia Commons

From 1774 to 1781, the Continental Congress acted as a governing body that coordinated the resistance to the British. It became the Confederation Congress in 1781 and used a document called the Articles of Confederation as the structure for government.

The Articles of Confederation, Wikimedia Commons

As Americans sought to avoid tyranny, they left most of the power to each individual state. States quickly drafted constitutions that outlined the rights of individuals, maintained separation of powers, and determined requirements for voting and holding office.

Great Seal of the United States, 1782 Wikimedia Commons

The Articles maintained a loose unification of the states by creating a central government with limited powers. There was only a legislative branch and each state was given one vote.

Northwest Ordinances, Britannica

After the war, the Confederation Congress successfully passed the Northwest Ordinance which created a process to admit new states, banned slavery in the Northwest Territory, and promoted public education.

The Articles of Confederation were created to form a loose unification of the states. They left the majority of the power to the states and successfully dealt with new western lands.

Join me tomorrow as I explain the Challenges of the Articles of Confederation in our next APUSH in 1 Minute Daily!