Chapter 4: The Articles of Confederation

Halfway through the Revolutionary War, in November 1777, delegates to the Second Continental Congress agree on thirteen “Articles of Confederation” to govern the new United States of America. According to Article 3, the goal for the states in this new union is to create…

A firm league of friendship with each other, for their common defense, the security
of their liberties, and their mutual and general welfare, binding themselves to assist
each other, against all force offered to, or attacks made upon them, or any of them,
on account of religion, sovereignty, trade, or any other pretense whatever.

While seeking this union, each state is also fiercely intent on retaining its local “sovereignty” and avoiding any semblance of a new monarchy.

Thus the “Articles” fashion a sharply limited central government under a figurehead president (serving one year in office) which ends up consistently in debt for lack of power to collect taxes. It is also handicapped in attempts to control banking and the money supply, along with interstate commerce and international trading. On top of all that, its laissez faire structure leads to growing fear among military men that America will be as ill-equipped as it was in 1776 to fight another war for survival.