Lesson 8: What Were the Articles of Confederation, and Why Did Some Founders Want to Change Them?

Lesson Purpose

This lesson examines the government formed by the Articles of Confederation. It was the first of two blueprints for a United States government written between 1776 and 1787. The Articles of Confederation provided the framework of an alliance of states to fight the Revolutionary War. The provisions in this document reflected political realities and divisions among the states as well as the need for unity. Many Founders soon came to believe that this first government of the United States lacked sufficient authority to meet the nation's needs both during and after the war.