It was on this day, November 15, 1777, that the American colonies,

in the midst of a war for Independence, approved a final version of the Articles of Confederation. It was the first time in modern history that a complete system of government was drawn up and approved by a committee. The document began by naming the new country: The United States of America.

The central government under the Articles of Confederation had no real power. It had no power to raise armies, no power to impose taxes, and no power to enforce laws it had passed.

The Articles of Confederation finally went into effect in 1781, a few months before the Revolutionary War ended.

Reading this brief adds perspective to today's news stories about challenges governments have in coordinating various interests of their constituencies. Thank you, history teachers, for keeping past events before us as we make judgments about current events.


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