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AP®HistoryCollege BoardUS HistoryExam QuestionsPeriod 3: 1754-1800The Articles of Confederation

The Articles of Confederation (College Board AP® US History): Exam Questions

4 mins4 questions
11 mark

“Each state retains its sovereignty, freedom and independence, and every power, Jurisdiction, and right, which is not by this Confederation expressly delegated to the United States, in Congress assembled.”

Article II, Articles of Confederation, 1777

The ideas expressed in the extract most directly support 

  • A strong executive branch to enforce national laws

  • Federalism and a balance of power between states and the central government

  • The concept of a national government with the ability to tax and regulate commerce

  • The preference for state sovereignty over centralized authority

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21 mark

“Each state retains its sovereignty, freedom and independence, and every power, Jurisdiction, and right, which is not by this Confederation expressly delegated to the United States, in Congress assembled.”

Article II, Articles of Confederation, 1777

The excerpt supports which of the following concerns? 

  • Distant authority and its influence on state matters

  • The expansion of executive power in the early U.S. government

  • Congress interference with state decision-making

  • The necessity of an independent judiciary to resolve state conflicts 

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31 mark

“Each state retains its sovereignty, freedom and independence, and every power, Jurisdiction, and right, which is not by this Confederation expressly delegated to the United States, in Congress assembled.”

Article II, Articles of Confederation, 1777

The developments outlined in the excerpt most directly foreshadowed which following?

  • The formation of political parties over debates on government power

  • The American Civil War and sectional disputes over state rights

  • The expansion of executive power under the Constitution

  • The debates surrounding the ratification of the U.S. Constitution and the limits of federal authority 

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41 mark

“Each state retains its sovereignty, freedom and independence, and every power, Jurisdiction, and right, which is not by this Confederation expressly delegated to the United States, in Congress assembled.”

Article II, Articles of Confederation, 1777

The Articles of Confederation ultimately failed because the

  • Weak legislative structure created difficulties for Congress to pass laws 

  • States refused to recognize Congress’s authority over taxation

  • Reformers at the 1786 Annapolis Convention

  • Central government was too weak, as shown by Shay’s Rebellion 

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