Question

What was the overall reason early U.S. leaders wanted to edit or replace the Articles of Confederation?

a
It did not give the central government enough power.

b
It failed to adequately limit the power of the executive.

c
It provided no benefit to or unity between the states.

d
It granted too many individual rights to the citizens.

Answer 1

The early U.S. leaders wanted to edit or replace the Articles of Confederation because it rendered the central government too weak, leading to issues like economic turmoil and inadequate national defense.

Step-by-step explanation:

The overall reason early U.S. leaders wanted to edit or replace the Articles of Confederation was that it did not give the central government enough power to function effectively. The Confederation Congress, under the Articles, faced numerous problems such as the inability to tax, raise an army, pay down the national debt, or manage economic crises.

This culminated in events like Shays's Rebellion highlighting the government's weaknesses. In response, the Philadelphia Convention was convened, initially tasked with revising the Articles. However, it became clear that a new constitution was needed to create a more balanced goverment structure — one that would hold a stronger central authority while also maintaining the rights of the states.