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History is for EveryoneAmerican Revolution Network

Student Worksheet Packet

America's First Constitution: The Articles of Confederation at York

York, PA

Grades 8-10·2 class periods

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.

This Packet Includes

  • Learning Objectives & Essential Questions
  • 5 Primary Source Analysis Worksheets
  • 3 Reading & Activity Handouts
  • Assessment Quiz (5 questions)
Unit:America's First Constitution: The Articles of Confederation at York — Lesson Overview
History is for Everyone
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Learning Objectives

By the end of this unit, you will be able to:

  1. Describe the structure of government created by the Articles of Confederation
  2. Explain why the founders deliberately created a weak central government in 1777
  3. Identify specific failures of the Articles that emerged between 1781 and 1787
  4. Analyze the relationship between the Articles and the U.S. Constitution as a problem-solution pair

Essential Questions

Keep these questions in mind as you work through this packet:

  • 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?
Unit:America's First Constitution: The Articles of Confederation at York — Primary Source Analysis
History is for Everyone
Name: Date: Period:
Primary Source 1 of 5
Document Information
DocumentArticles of Confederation and Perpetual Union
SourceNational Archives and Records Administration
TypePRIMARY
Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union

Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union

Analysis Questions

Read the document carefully, then answer each question in complete sentences.

  1. Who created this source and why?

  2. When was this source created?

  3. What perspective does this source represent?

  4. What was happening when this was written?

  5. How might the author's position affect their account?

Reflection

How does this source connect to what happened in York, PA? What does it tell you about the people involved?

Unit:America's First Constitution: The Articles of Confederation at York — Primary Source Analysis
History is for Everyone
Name: Date: Period:
Primary Source 2 of 5
Document Information
DocumentJournals of the Continental Congress: York Period (September 1777-June 1778)
SourceLibrary of Congress
TypePRIMARY
Journals of the Continental Congress: York Period (September 1777-June 1778)

Journals of the Continental Congress: York Period (September 1777-June 1778)

Analysis Questions

Read the document carefully, then answer each question in complete sentences.

  1. Who created this source and why?

  2. When was this source created?

  3. What perspective does this source represent?

  4. What was happening when this was written?

  5. How might the author's position affect their account?

Reflection

How does this source connect to what happened in York, PA? What does it tell you about the people involved?

Unit:America's First Constitution: The Articles of Confederation at York — Primary Source Analysis
History is for Everyone
Name: Date: Period:
Primary Source 3 of 5
Document Information
DocumentThe Articles of Confederation: An Interpretation of the Social-Constitutional History of the American Revolution
SourceUniversity of Wisconsin Press (Merrill Jensen)
TypeSECONDARY

Analysis Questions

Read the document carefully, then answer each question in complete sentences.

  1. Who created this source and why?

  2. When was this source created?

  3. What perspective does this source represent?

  4. What primary sources does this draw from?

  5. What interpretation does the author offer?

Reflection

How does this source connect to what happened in York, PA? What does it tell you about the people involved?

Unit:America's First Constitution: The Articles of Confederation at York — Primary Source Analysis
History is for Everyone
Name: Date: Period:
Primary Source 4 of 5
Document Information
DocumentColonial Complex: York, Pennsylvania -- Revolutionary War Heritage
SourceYork County Heritage Trust
TypeINSTITUTIONAL
Colonial Complex: York, Pennsylvania -- Revolutionary War Heritage

Colonial Complex: York, Pennsylvania -- Revolutionary War Heritage

Analysis Questions

Read the document carefully, then answer each question in complete sentences.

  1. Who created this source and why?

  2. When was this source created?

  3. What perspective does this source represent?

  4. What is the institution's mission?

  5. How does that mission shape the presentation?

Reflection

How does this source connect to what happened in York, PA? What does it tell you about the people involved?

Unit:America's First Constitution: The Articles of Confederation at York — Primary Source Analysis
History is for Everyone
Name: Date: Period:
Primary Source 5 of 5
Document Information
DocumentYork County Heritage Trust: Revolutionary War Collections
SourceYork County Heritage Trust
TypeINSTITUTIONAL
York County Heritage Trust: Revolutionary War Collections

York County Heritage Trust: Revolutionary War Collections

Analysis Questions

Read the document carefully, then answer each question in complete sentences.

  1. Who created this source and why?

  2. When was this source created?

  3. What perspective does this source represent?

  4. What is the institution's mission?

  5. How does that mission shape the presentation?

Reflection

How does this source connect to what happened in York, PA? What does it tell you about the people involved?

Unit:America's First Constitution: The Articles of Confederation at York — York Event Timeline
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Name: Date: Period:

York Event Timeline

timeline

Students place key events in chronological order and add details

# York Revolutionary Timeline


Instructions: Place the following events in order and add one detail about each.


  • [ ] Congress Ratifies the French Alliance
  • [ ] Articles of Confederation Adopted
  • [ ] Articles of Confederation Sent to States for Ratification
  • [ ] York Celebrates News of the French Alliance
  • [ ] Continental Congress Arrives in York

---


| Event | Date | Significance |

|-------|------|-------------|

| | | |

| | | |

| | | |

Unit:America's First Constitution: The Articles of Confederation at York — Primary Source Analysis
History is for Everyone
Name: Date: Period:

Primary Source Analysis

graphic organizer

Structured analysis of Revolutionary-era documents

# Primary Source Analysis Worksheet


## Source Information

  • Title: _________________
  • Author: _________________
  • Date: _________________
  • Type: _________________

## Observation

What do you notice? (List 3 things)

1.

2.

3.


## Reflection

What do you wonder? (List 2 questions)

1.

2.


## Analysis

What does this source tell us about York during the Revolution?


_______________________________________________


## Perspective

Whose voice is represented? Whose might be missing?


_______________________________________________

Unit:America's First Constitution: The Articles of Confederation at York — Key Figures Profile
History is for Everyone
Name: Date: Period:

Key Figures Profile

worksheet

Research template for Revolutionary figures

# Revolutionary Figure Profile


## Basic Information

  • Name: _________________
  • Birth/Death Years: _________________
  • Occupation(s): _________________

## Role in the Revolution



## Reflection

Which figure interests you most and why?


_______________________________________________

Unit:America's First Constitution: The Articles of Confederation at York — Assessment
History is for Everyone
Name: Date: Period:

York in the American Revolution

Answer the following questions based on our study of Revolutionary history.

  1. 1.  What makes York significant in Revolutionary history?

  2. 2.  Primary sources are documents or objects created during the time period being studied.

  3. 3.  Name one event that occurred in York during the Revolutionary period and explain its significance.

    Answer:

  4. 4.  Why is it important to consider multiple perspectives when studying history?

  5. 5.  Describe one connection between this town and another Revolutionary-era town we discussed.

    Answer: