Under the Articles of Confederation, the national government had little power and states had most authority. The document discusses Shay's Rebellion, a 1786 uprising of farmers in Massachusetts who could not pay their taxes and were facing debtors' prison. It explores life in the United States under the weak Articles government and asks students to consider what the nation might be like today if the Articles had not been replaced by the US Constitution in 1787. The homework assignment is to read pages 90-95 and complete a worksheet on Chapter 5, Section 1.

1. Shay’s Rebellion

5. States have most of the power. The national government has little. A president heads the executive branch of the government. Congress is responsible to the states Both national and state courts exist. Laws may be passed by a majority vote of both houses of Congress Congress given power to tax Congress given the power to regulate interstate and foreign trade Each state coins its own money. There is no national currency.