How do I make this statement less vague?....... The Articles of Confederation had no control over the US

You could add "because" to your statement for clarity.  For example, The Articles of Confederation had no control over the U.S. Because the Articles denied Congress to power to regulate interstate commerce, enforce laws and collect taxes.  You have the beginning of a good topic or thesis statement. This is how I remember how to write a topic or thesis statement in one sentence.  "Topic + opinion + (comma) + because + reason."  Some professors will require a thesis statement to be that last sentence of the first paragraph only.   Hope this answer helps you now and in the future.