Teacher Resources
York
Students examine the Articles of Confederation — written and adopted in York, PA — as America's first attempt at national government. They analyze the document's structure, identify its deliberate weaknesses rooted in colonial experience with British power, and trace how those weaknesses led to the Constitutional Convention.
Grade Range
8-10
Duration
2 class periods
Included
3 Resources
What's Included
Everything
You Need
- 5 primary sources with analysis prompts
- Quiz with answer key (5 questions)
- 3 printable handouts
Lesson Overview
Students examine the Articles of Confederation — written and adopted in York, PA — as America's first attempt at national government. They analyze the document's structure, identify its deliberate weaknesses rooted in colonial experience with British power, and trace how those weaknesses led to the Constitutional Convention.
Essential Questions
- Why would founders who had just fought for national independence create a government too weak to govern effectively?
- What does it reveal about the founders' fears that they gave Congress no power to tax or raise an army directly?
- How did the failures of the Articles make the Constitution possible?
Primary Sources
5 Sources for Analysis
PRIMARY · TIER1
Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union
National Archives and Records Administration
View SourcePRIMARY · TIER1
Journals of the Continental Congress: York Period (September 1777-June 1778)
Library of Congress
View SourceSECONDARY · TIER1
The Articles of Confederation: An Interpretation of the Social-Constitutional History of the American Revolution
University of Wisconsin Press (Merrill Jensen)
INSTITUTIONAL · TIER1
Colonial Complex: York, Pennsylvania -- Revolutionary War Heritage
York County Heritage Trust
View SourceINSTITUTIONAL · TIER2
York County Heritage Trust: Revolutionary War Collections
York County Heritage Trust
View SourceLesson Plan
In the Classroom
Learning Objectives
- 1Describe the structure of government created by the Articles of Confederation
- 2Explain why the founders deliberately created a weak central government in 1777
- 3Identify specific failures of the Articles that emerged between 1781 and 1787
- 4Analyze the relationship between the Articles and the U.S. Constitution as a problem-solution pair
Assessment
York in the American Revolution
Answer the following questions based on our study of Revolutionary history.
What makes York significant in Revolutionary history?
multiple choice
Primary sources are documents or objects created during the time period being studied.
true false
Name one event that occurred in York during the Revolutionary period and explain its significance.
short answer
+ 2 more questions in the full packet
Ready to Print?
The full teacher packet includes cover page, lesson plan, all primary source worksheets, quiz, answer key, and standards alignment — formatted for classroom printing.