Which document served as the original constitution drafted by the Continental Congress in 1777, creating a weak central government?

Which document served as the original constitution drafted by the Continental Congress in 1777, creating a weak central government?

• A. U.S. Constitution
• B. Northwest Ordinance
• C. Articles of Confederation
• D. Bill of Rights

Answer: (C)

This question hinges on recognizing the first national framework the Continental Congress drafted to govern the new nation, which intentionally kept the central government weak. The Articles of Confederation, created during and after the revolutionary era, united the states in a loose confederation with a single central body—the Congress—but without an executive or national judiciary. Its powers were limited: it could handle foreign affairs, wage war, and coin money, yet it could not levy taxes or regulate interstate commerce, and major actions required broad state consent. This design reflected fears of centralized authority and produced a government that struggled to enforce laws or fund itself, prompting the move to a new framework—the U.S. Constitution—that created a stronger central government. The Northwest Ordinance was a later policy under the Articles governing territorial governance, and the Bill of Rights consists of amendments added to the Constitution, not the original governing document.

This question hinges on recognizing the first national framework the Continental Congress drafted to govern the new nation, which intentionally kept the central government weak. The Articles of Confederation, created during and after the revolutionary era, united the states in a loose confederation with a single central body—the Congress—but without an executive or national judiciary. Its powers were limited: it could handle foreign affairs, wage war, and coin money, yet it could not levy taxes or regulate interstate commerce, and major actions required broad state consent. This design reflected fears of centralized authority and produced a government that struggled to enforce laws or fund itself, prompting the move to a new framework—the U.S. Constitution—that created a stronger central government. The Northwest Ordinance was a later policy under the Articles governing territorial governance, and the Bill of Rights consists of amendments added to the Constitution, not the original governing document.