America’s First System of Government and its Utter Failure!

America’s First System of Government and its Utter Failure! The Articles of Confederation

Thursday, April 1, 2026
6:30 p.m.

In the summer of 1776, Connecticut sent a resolution to its representatives in the Continental Congress, outlining support for independence. But they also included a section firmly limiting the role of any new “confederation” or government. And that’s what America got, a limited system defined by the colonial experience and uniquely positioned to fail.

This program is co-hosted by the Noah Webster House & West Hartford Historical Society, West Hartford 250, and the West Hartford Town Historian.

About The Presenter:

Matt Warshauer is a professor of history at Central Connecticut State University, where he received his bachelors in American Studies.  Fascinated by what he calls “the American paradox,” the ever-challenging conundrum between the nation’s founding document and the difficulties of pursuing essential ideas of freedom, Warshauer pursued an MA and Ph.D. at Saint Louis University.  He has spent the last 30 years exploring the great American experiment in self-government. The author of five books and countless articles and reviews, Warshauer has written extensively on Andrew Jackson, slavery and the Civil War, and, most recently, 9/11 and how the most important and devastating event of the 21st century has impacted the world in which we live. With a unique ability to draw in his audience, Warshauer guides listeners through the complexities of American political and constitutional history so that we can all think more clearly and gain a better of understanding of our role as citizens.

This America250 presentation is supported by Eversource Energy & The Rotary Club of West Hartford.