Final answer:
The Articles of Confederation protected state sovereignty by creating a weak central government, a measure appealed to many in the new nation. However, this also led to failures because the central government was so weak it could not handle national affairs effectively, leading to economic problems and uprisings like Shays' Rebellion.
Step-by-step explanation:
The successes and failures of the Articles of Confederation and the Confederation government can be seen in several ways. The primary success was these documents protected the sovereignty of the states by creating a weak central government with limited power. This appealed to many people in the new nation, who were wary of a strong central government after the experience with British rule. However, this success led to several failures. The national government was so weak it could not function effectively. It lacked power to handle national matters such as war debt, commercial disputes among states, and negotiating trade agreements. This situation led to Shays' Rebellion - a protest against economic and civil rights injustices - which further highlighted the inadequacies of the confederation system. It was soon realized the Articles needed to be revised or replaced which ultimately led to the drafting of the U.S. constitution.
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