Your eulogy must explain: 1. The Five Weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation 2. The Claim to Fame of the Articles of Confederation 3. The Lasting Legacy of the Articles of Confederation

The Articles of Confederation, adopted in 1781, notably struggled with five main weaknesses: lack of federal power to tax, inability to regulate interstate commerce, no executive branch to enforce laws, no national judiciary to interpret laws, and rules that required a supermajority for legislation, making decision-making painfully slow and cumbersome. This ineffective framework often rendered Congress impotent in addressing national issues, leading to the need for stronger governance and ultimately the drafting of the Constitution in 1787. While the Articles of Confederation may not be remembered as a successful governing document, they claim fame as the first written constitution of the United States, laying the groundwork for the nation’s governance. Their experimentation with a confederation of states represented a bold step towards independence and illustrated the citizens' desire to unify while maintaining state sovereignty. The legacy of the Articles can be felt today, as they taught valuable lessons about the necessity of a balanced federal system, helping shape the foundational principles of the Constitution that followed.