Many political leaders in Colonial American saw the advantages of a centralized government that could coordinate the Revolutionary War
The United States’ first constitution was called the Articles of Confederation. It was written between July 1776 and November 1777, after the Colonies had already declared their independence from Great Britain. It was the work of 56 delegates sent by 12 of the 13 colonies to represent them at the first Continental Congress.
This document spelled out the functions of the national government of the United States. The Article approved by the Second Continental Congress — after being debated at length by our 56 “Founding Fathers” — on November 15, 1777, and then sent to the 13 states to be ratified by a majority vote of legislators elected to their state legislature.
The Articles of Confederation were response by colonial Americans to the abuse of powers by the British king and thus written during a period when the people naturally associated the power of strong national governments with the abuse by despotic monarchs and corruption of the petty bureaucrats appointed by them.
In 1763, the English Crown become bogged down in a very expensive war with Spain. In it’s attempt to expand its navy, the British government imposed as series of exploitive and increasing burdensome taxes on its North American colonies. By the time the Colonies had declared independence in 1776, Americans were naturally wary of any form of government that might lead back to a monarchy and American version of being under the thumb of someone like King George.
Also the colonists were the people seemed to more align and loyalty to their own individual state, and saw themselves as Virginians or NewYorkers first and foremost, instead seeing themselves as Americans. After the American Revolution, states were still printing their own money, which was worthless in other states, which hindered commerce and interstate cooperation. The 13 new states needed to find common ground and a way to cooperate.
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The new nation needed some kind of organization to hold states together to help them fend off future attacks and hopefully make a stronger economy, and the Articles of Confederation seemed like the best answer to build unity at the time.
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https://history.state.gov/milestones/1776-1783/continental-congress
The provocations that brought the first Continental Congress into existence and led to the Articles of Confederation
In 1774, the British Parliament passed a series of laws collectively known as the Intolerable Acts, with the intent to suppress unrest in colonial Boston by closing the port and placing it under martial law.
The Congress first met in Philadelphia on September 5, 1774, with delegates from each of the 13 colonies except Georgia. This new governing body was a voluntary alliance or ‘gentleman’s agreement btw all 13 of the American colonial governments for the express purpose of coordinating their resistance to British rule, and mutual defense of one another, during the first two years of the American Revolution. It sought to balanced the interests of the different colonies and also established itself as the official colonial liaison with Great Britain.
On October 20, the Congress adopted the Articles of Association, which stated that if the Intolerable Acts were not repealed by December 1, 1774, a boycott of British goods would begin in the colonies. Six day later, on the 26 of October, a formal petition was drafted by the delegates that outlined the colonists’ grievances for British King George III. However, many of the delegates were skeptical about changing the king’s attitude towards the colonies, but nonetheless believed they had a duty to exhausted every opportunity to de-escalate the conflict before taking more radical action.
A second attempt by Congress to resolve these disputes between the colonies and Great Britain resulted in the drafting of the Olive Branch Petition. It which was sent to King George III on July 8, but he refused to receive it.
As British authority clobbered in the colonial economy with military enforcement of its restrictive decrees, the Continental Congress became our a de facto national government, greatly exceeding the authority granted to it by the 13 individual colonial governments.
the delegates to the Second Continental Congress formed the Continental Army and dispatched George Washington to Massachusetts as its commander.
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The Articles officially documented a voluntary governing agreement among the 13 original colonies/states to fight the War for Independence (Revolutionary War of 1776);
it established the powers of the federal government and enumerate its limitations. The relationship of the states was described as a “firm” (but voluntary) “league of friendship” that was to served as a defense agreement against foreign invasion. States were allowed to keep all governmental power that was not specifically given to Congress.
While all the colonial states had both executive and judicial branches, the Articles of Confederation only set up the Continental Congress at the federal level, with no executive branch or federal court system. The powers granted to Congress by the Articles included sole responsibility for dealings with foreign nations, and limiting the power of states by prohibiting them to use their state power to tax as a way to negate or circumvent federal treaties.
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After being ratified by all 13 states, the Articles of Confederation came into force on March 1, 1781 and continued in to be the law of the land until our current Constitution was ratified by 9 or the 13 states
Ratified: March 1, 1781
Created: November 15, 1777
History
during a time when the American people feared strong national governments. The new nation needed some kind of organization to hold states together to help them fend off future attacks and hopefully make a stronger economy, and the Articles of Confederation seemed like the best answer to build unity at the time.
The English government had been especially abusive to the Colonists, who were very reluctant to install a new government that could potentially function similar to the monarchy under King George. The loyalty of the people seemed to align more with the individual states than with the nation. After the American Revolution, states were still printing their own money, which was worthless in other states and further hindered cooperation. The 13 new states needed to find common ground and a way to cooperate.
During the American Revolution, many states wrote their own state constitutions. These constitutions consisted of political ideas that provided equality and freedom.
States particularly relished the three branches of government and the idea of a republic, where citizens elect political officials.
However, when the states came together to complete the first constitution, the nation was formed as a confederation, where states were sovereign, while trying to work together.
Articles
The Articles of Confederation only set up the Continental Congress at the federal level. There were no executive or judicial branches except within the states. The states were allowed to keep every right that was not specifically given to Congress. The bonding of the states was through a ‘firm league of friendship’ that best served as a defense agreement against invasion. States were not allowed to use taxes as a way to discourage treaties, and states were extremely limited in their dealings with foreign nations.
Strengths
Not many historians today talk about the strengths of the Articles of Confederation, likely because of how unpopular the document quickly became. The Articles did set the legislative body, Congress, as the highest power in the nation because of the fear of monarchy.
Congress had the sole power to declare war, assign treaties, entertain foreign relations, and operate post offices.
Disputes between states and territorial issues were to be brought to Congress.
The document also stipulated that Canada was allowed to enter the Union if they desired.
Weaknesses
There were more weaknesses than strengths under the Articles of Confederation. The lack of power given to the Continental Congress strangled the federal government. The Articles gave Congress the power to pass laws but no power to enforce those laws.
If a state did not support a federal law, that state could simply ignore it. Congress had no power to levy taxes or regulate trade.
Without a federal court system or executive leader, there would be no way to enforce these laws, either.
Amending the Articles of Confederation would also require a unanimous decision, which would be extremely difficult.
