The Articles of Confederation

AP US History· difficulty 3/5

"Each state retains its sovereignty, freedom, and independence, and every Power, Jurisdiction, and right, which is not by this confederation expressly delegated to the United States, in Congress assembled." — Articles of Confederation, Article II (ratified 1781)

Which crisis of the 1780s most directly exposed the practical limits of the principle articulated here?

  • A

    Shays's Rebellion's demonstration that Congress could not raise force to suppress unrest

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  • B

    The Treaty of Greenville's settlement of Ohio Valley conflicts

  • C

    The XYZ Affair's diplomatic confrontation with France

  • D

    Hamilton's funding-and-assumption plan in the First Congress

Explanation

Shays's Rebellion (1786-87) showed the Confederation could not coerce states or raise revenue/troops, accelerating calls for constitutional revision. The other events occurred under the new Constitution (1790s), so they cannot have exposed limits of the Articles.

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