Confederation Crisis Worksheet
8th Grade U.S. History The Critical Period (1781–1787)
Confederation in Crisis
Name:
Date:
Period:
Investigation Mission: The Articles of Confederation established a weak central alliance of thirteen sovereign states. Read each post-war crisis scenario below. Connect the crisis to a structural weakness, explain why the Confederation could not resolve it, and propose how a stronger national government could intervene.
Articles of Confederation Weakness Reference Toolbox Use these to identify the root cause in each scenario
A. No Power to Levy Taxes
B. No Regulated Interstate Trade
C. No National Standing Army
D. No Executive Chief / Leader
E. No Federal Court System
F. Unanimous 13/13 Amendment Rule
CASE 01
The Springfield Armory Uprising (Shays' Rebellion)
Massachusetts, 1786–1787
Crushed by high state property taxes and farm debt foreclosures, Captain Daniel Shays led 1,200 armed veterans to shut down county debt courts and seize the federal weapons arsenal in Springfield. Governor Bowdoin pleaded for Confederation troops. Congress had neither soldiers nor funds, leaving private Boston merchants to secretly pay for a state militia to crush the rebellion.
Primary Weakness:
Toolbox letter or write-in:
Explain Connection: How did the Articles cause this failure?
Propose Solution: What power should a stronger government have?
CASE 02
Spain Blocks the Mississippi & British Forts Remain
Western Frontier, 1784–1786
Spain closed New Orleans and the lower Mississippi River to American flatboats, strangling western settlers' only trade route. Meanwhile, British troops refused to abandon frontier outposts in the Ohio Valley, violating the 1783 peace treaty. Foreign powers ignored Confederation diplomats because Congress had no navy to enforce rights and no power to compel states to honor treaties.
Primary Weakness:
Toolbox letter or write-in:
Explain Connection: How did the Articles cause this failure?
Propose Solution: What power should a stronger government have?
Unit 3: Creating the U.S. Constitution • Articles Analysis Document Page 1 of 2 → Continue on Page 2
Page 2
Confederation in Crisis (Continued)
Student Name:
CASE 03
The New York Harbor Tariffs & Currency Chaos
Interstate Commerce, 1785
New York placed punitive import fees on firewood arriving from New Jersey and farm crops shipped from Connecticut. In retaliation, New Jersey heavily taxed New York’s lighthouse on Sandy Hook. To make matters worse, states printed their own paper money with conflicting values; Rhode Island’s currency became worthless, creating rapid inflation and shutting down interstate commerce.
Primary Weakness:
Toolbox letter or write-in:
Explain Connection: How did the Articles cause this failure?
Propose Solution: What power should a stronger government have?
CASE 04
The 1781 Import Tax Veto & Empty Federal Vaults
National Treasury, 1781–1786
The Continental Congress owed over $40 million in Revolutionary War debts to France and unpaid Continental soldiers. In 1781, Congress asked all thirteen states to approve a modest 5% tax on imported goods to pay these debts. Twelve states ratified the measure, but tiny Rhode Island voted no. Because the Articles demanded 100% unanimous agreement, the tax died, leaving the national treasury bankrupt.
Primary Weakness:
Toolbox letter or write-in:
Explain Connection: How did the Articles cause this failure?
Propose Solution: What power should a stronger government have?
Convention Delegate Synthesis
Philadelphia, May 1787
1. Most Dangerous Threat: Of the four cases, which single crisis posed the most immediate threat to the survival of the American republic? Defend your reasoning:
2. Essential Constitutional Fix: What is one power that delegates at the Philadelphia Convention must write into the new Constitution to prevent these disasters from recurring?
Unit 3: Creating the U.S. Constitution • Articles Analysis Document Page 2 of 2 • Assessment Complete
Confederation Crisis Answer Key
Teacher Resource • Answer Key 8th Grade U.S. History
Confederation in Crisis — Scoring Guide
Master Evaluation Copy
Total Unit Value: 20 Points
Grading Guideline: Credit students who identify the core weakness and explain the causal chain. Acceptable alternative answers are noted in each section.
4 Pts per Case
Weakness Reference Matrix
A: No Tax Power
B: Trade Unregulated
C: No Standing Army
D: No Chief Exec
E: No Federal Courts
F: 13/13 Rule
CASE 01
The Springfield Armory Uprising (Shays' Rebellion)
Massachusetts, 1786–1787
Primary Weakness:
C. No National Standing Army
Also accept: A (tax burden sparked debt) or D (no commander-in-chief to deploy federal forces).
✓ Exemplar Connection (Why the Articles Failed):
The national Confederation government lacked both authority and funds to maintain a permanent peacetime army. When armed rebellion erupted, Congress could only request militia from states, which were ignored. Massachusetts was left defenseless until private merchants funded a mercenary force.
✓ Proposed Solution (Constitutional Remedy):
Grant the federal government the power to raise, fund, and maintain a standing national military (Art. I, § 8) and empower the President as Commander-in-Chief to call forth state militias to suppress insurrections and enforce federal laws.
CASE 02
Spain Blocks the Mississippi & British Forts Remain
Western Frontier, 1784–1786
Primary Weakness:
D. No Executive Chief / Leader
Also accept: C (no navy/army to evict troops) or B (inability to regulate foreign trade sanctions).
✓ Exemplar Connection (Why the Articles Failed):
The Confederation lacked a unified diplomatic chief executive and a navy to compel foreign respect. European powers ignored treaties because Congress could not retaliate with unified tariffs or force individual states to honor treaty promises (like repaying Loyalist debts).
✓ Proposed Solution (Constitutional Remedy):
Establish a single Chief Executive (President) to negotiate treaties and command the armed forces, make federal treaties the "Supreme Law of the Land" over state laws (Supremacy Clause, Art. VI), and grant Congress power over foreign commerce.
