US Government Publishing Office
Ben's Guide to u.s. Government: The Articles of Confederation, 1781
Gives a nice history of the Articles and also a summary of what they were and the problems that developed with their adoption. Includes links to the actual document.
Utah State University
American Journey: Comparison of Articles of Confederation and the Constitution
Two informative charts, one of which compares the Articles of Confederation and the Constitution, the other which lays out the positions of the Federalists and Anti-Federalists concerning the Constitution.
Siteseen
Siteseen: Land of the Brave: The Articles of Confederation
This article summarizes the Articles of Confederation, its strengths and weaknesses, and how it led to the Constitution.
University of Chicago
The Founders' Constitution: Deficiencies of the Articles of Confederation
Primary source documents (letters) concerning the need for a central government written by Madison, Hamilton, Jay, and others.
ClassFlow
Class Flow: Georgia's Constitution and the Articles of Confederation
[Free Registration/Login Required] This flipchart focuses on social studies skills by introducing students to Georgia's 1st Constitution and new United States' Articles of Confederation. Timelines are introduced where students add facts...
University of Chicago
The Founders' Constitution: Deficiencies of the Confederation
The University of Chicago provides a letter from Richard Henry Lee to George Mason in which Lee describes the financial problems the Confederation has run into and suggests minor reforms be made.
Library of Congress
Loc: Creating a Constitution
A brief article on the efforts of Charles Pinckney along with others to amend The Articles of Confederation. Includes links to original text of unsuccessful amendments to The Articles of Confederation
Alabama Learning Exchange
Alex: Articles of Confederation
This lesson looks at the development of the constitutional government in the United States. Students use technology to explore history concepts.
OpenStax
Open Stax: Debating Democracy
By the end of this section of a chapter on "Creating Republican Governments," students will be able to explain the development of state constitutions, describe the features of the Articles of Confederation, and analyze the causes and...
C3 Teachers
C3 Teachers: Inquiries: Great Compromise
A learning module on the Great Compromise and the role it played in developing the US Constitution in 1787. It includes several supporting questions accompanied by formative tasks and source materials, followed by a summative performance...
Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History
Gilder Lehrman Institute: The New Nation, 1783 1815
[Free Registration/Login Required] This website documents the United States through its struggles to become a new nation. Site includes primary source documents for the Articles of Confederation, US Constitutional Convention, and George...
Yale University
Avalon Project: The Federalist Papers
With this resource, you can search by keyword for particular subjects within the Federalist Papers, or you can access by number each of the Papers. Also available are links to four related documents: The Annapolis Convention, Articles of...
iCivics
I Civics: The Constitutional Convention Mini Lesson
Students explore how the U.S. government was created in the years following the Articles of Confederation.
iCivics
I Civics: Trying Self Government
For this lesson, students will learn about the Articles of Confederation's strengths and weaknesses as well as how it downfalls impacted the writing and ideas in the U.S. Constitution.
University of Groningen
American History: Outlines: Formation of a National Government
This site from the American Revolution Project discusses the state of the union at the end of the Revolutionary War and how the events of the time led to the failure of the Continental Congress and the Articles of Confederation.
University of Chicago
The Founders' Constitution: Deficiencies of the Confederation
The original text of a letter from Alexander Hamilton to Governor George Clinton of New York in 1778 complaining of inadequate material for the U.S. armed forces and perception of weakness by foreign powers.
Digital History
Digital History: The Road to Philadelphia [Pdf]
The new United States government had many problems under the Articles of Confederation. Find out what these problems were, but also discover some of the successes accomplished under that constitution. [pdf]
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: Evaluating the Congress
Although there were some glaring weaknesses for the central government under the Articles of Confederation, there were some stunning accomplishments. Read about the successes and think about how important they were for the future of the...
Digital History
Digital History: The Age of Constitution Writing [Pdf]
See how colonial and state constitutions differed and how the idea of a social contract between a government and its citizens is reflected in the state constitutions. The second half of this site gives an abbreviated text of the Articles...
The History Cat
The History Cat: The Constitutional Convention: Creating the Constitution
Explains why the Articles of Confederation were not strong enough to hold the country together. One result was a farmers' rebellion in Massachusetts led by Daniel Shays, which was precipitated by a debt crisis that caused many farmers to...
University of Chicago
The Founders' Constitution: Alexander Hamilton to James Duane
The original text from the University of Chicago Press of a 1780 letter from Alexander Hamilton to James Duane, who later became a delegate to the Constitutional Convention, on the weaknesses of the existing U.S. government under the...
University of Groningen
American History: Outlines: Drafting the Constitution
Essay covers from the Articles of Confederation and the problems of disunity of the new states after the Revolutionary War, internally as well as externally, to the Constitutional Convention, an attempt to address the Articles' problems....
University of Chicago
The Founders' Constitution: Constitutional Convention: Introduction
A lengthy and detailed article on the issues and events of the Constitutional Conventions in their attempt to amend and then replace the Articles of Confederation.