IntroductionIntroduction
Essential Question: What problems did the United States face due to the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation?
The paper money in the image below is a $7 bill issued in 1777 by the Continental Congress, our governing body during the Revolutionary War. Seven dollars way back in 1777 would have been equivalent to $203 today based on typical inflationary scales. So, imagine it is 1782, the war is over and you have seven "Continental" dollars to celebrate. What would you buy?
There is an old saying, "not worth a Continental dollar," referring to anything that has very little value. Unfortunately, you may not have been able to buy even a snack with your $7 due to the worthlessness of continental money. How can money be worthless if the government printed it? Roll over the image to learn more about the "Continental" money.
Discover the chronology of major historical events surrounding the framing of the U.S. Constitution.
Following successful completion of this lesson, students will be able to:
- Describe the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation.
- Identify the challenges faced by the newly established U.S. government under the Articles of Confederation.
- Describe the impact Shays' rebellion had on the debate for revising the Articles of Confederation.
The above objectives correspond with the Alabama Course of Study: United States History I: Objectives: 4.2.
This lesson incorporates the following Literacy Standards: R1, R2, R4, R6, R10, W1, W2, W4, W6, W8, W9 and W10.
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