This learning resource focuses on the Articles of Confederation, which served as the first constitution for the United States. Students will explore both the strengths and weaknesses of this governing document. They will categorize its features, such as the inability to tax and the power to declare war, and assess how these characteristics affected the life of an average farmer in 1783, specifically through the story of Silas, a Massachusetts farmer. By analyzing Silas's challenges with trade tax and currency differences, students will gain insight into the practical implications of the Articles on everyday life and the limitations they imposed on individuals and states.