1. What was the main reason the Confederation Congress struggled to pay off the country's large war debt?
- A. It was not allowed to borrow money from foreign nations.
- B. It lacked the authority to require states to provide money.
- C. It was required to use all its funds to build new forts in the west.
- D. It spent too much money trying to expand its foreign trade routes.
2. The combination of financial troubles and foreign policy failures under the Articles of Confederation led many American leaders to what conclusion?
- A. The country needed to abandon its republican ideals and form a monarchy.
- B. A stronger and more effective national government was necessary for the nation's survival.
- C. The states should operate as completely independent nations with separate governments.
- D. An alliance with Spain was the only way to solve the country's economic and security issues.
3. Which weakness of the Articles of Confederation most directly hurt the government's ability to operate financially?
- A. It could not create a national court system.
- B. It lacked the power to collect taxes.
- C. It could not regulate the settlement of western lands.
- D. It required a president to lead an executive branch.
4. Spain’s decision to close the lower Mississippi River to American trade primarily demonstrated what weakness of the U.S. government?
- A. Its inability to create new states in the western territories.
- B. Its failure to maintain a large and powerful standing army.
- C. Its lack of power to negotiate treaties without unanimous state approval.
- D. Its weakness in foreign affairs and inability to force other nations to respect American interests.
5. The expression 'not worth a continental' became common during the 1780s because the paper money issued by Congress...
- A. was difficult to use for trade with Great Britain.
- B. had lost nearly all its value due to overprinting and lack of backing.
- C. was officially replaced by currency from individual states.
- D. could only be used to pay for military service or land.
6. The Articles of Confederation described the union of states as a "firm league of friendship." What did this mean in practice?
- A. The national government had complete control over all state decisions.
- B. States were required to give up their individual power to a central authority.
- C. The states acted more like independent allies than a single, unified country.
- D. A president had the power to force states to cooperate with each other.
7. Under the Articles of Confederation, how was the national government's power structured regarding the states?
- A. The national government held supreme authority over all states.
- B. Power was evenly divided between the states and the national government.
- C. The individual states retained most of the governing power.
- D. A national court had the final say in all legal disputes.
8. What was the main reason the creators of the Articles of Confederation designed a weak central government?
- A. They wanted to copy the government of Great Britain.
- B. They were afraid of creating a government as powerful as the king they fought against.
- C. They believed a strong army was more important than a government.
- D. They did not have enough money to create a strong government.
9. What significant financial power did the national Congress lack under the Articles of Confederation?
- A. The power to borrow money.
- B. The power to print currency.
- C. The power to impose and collect taxes.
- D. The power to sell western lands.
10. Which of the following was a major economic problem for the U.S. government under the Articles of Confederation?
- A. It could not sign treaties with foreign nations.
- B. It was unable to regulate trade between the different states.
- C. It was forbidden from creating a national army.
- D. It could not declare war without unanimous state approval.