Final answer:
The Articles of Confederation had successes like the Northwest Ordinance, but also weaknesses including the inability to raise funds or a national army, leading to its replacement by the U.S. Constitution.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Articles of Confederation served as the first constitution for the United States, creating a confederacy of states with a very limited central government. Its successes included the Northwest Ordinance, which established a system for admitting new states to the Union and set a precedent for orderly expansion. However, the Articles had significant weaknesses, such as the lack of power to collect taxes, raise a national army, regulate commerce, and enforce laws.
Creating picture collages would highlight these aspects visually. The first would depict successes like the Northwest Ordinance, while the second would illustrate issues such as the inability to resolve disputes between states, economic instability, and vulnerability to external threats, culminating in incidents like Shays' Rebellion. The collages would include images representing key points, such as symbols of statehood, the meeting of the Continental Congress, Continental currency to reflect economic problems, and depictions of Shays' Rebellion.
This project would require students to deeply engage with the material, analyzing and selecting appropriate images to convey complex historical concepts related to the Articles of Confederation's strengths and weaknesses.