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| Articles of Confederation | Previous | Next |
| Digital History ID 3225 |
The Articles represented a victory for those who favored state sovereignty. Article 2 stated that "each State retains its sovereignty, freedom and independence, and every power...which is not...expressly delegated to the United States.…" Any amendment required unanimous consent of the states.
The Articles of Confederation created a national government composed of a Congress, which had the power to declare war, appoint military officers, sign treaties, make alliances, appoint foreign ambassadors, and manage relations with Indians. All states were represented equally in Congress, and nine of the 13 states had to approve a bill before it became law.
Under the Articles, the states, not Congress, had the power to tax. Congress could raise money only by asking the states for funds, borrowing from foreign governments, or selling western lands. In addition, Congress could not draft soldiers or regulate trade. There was no provision for national courts.
The Articles of Confederation did not include a president. The states feared another George III might threaten their liberties. The new framework of government also barred delegates from serving more than three years in any six year period.
The Articles of Confederation created a very weak central government. It is noteworthy that the Confederation Congress could not muster a quorum to ratify on time the treaty that guaranteed American independence, nor could it pay the expense of sending the ratified treaty back to Europe.
The Articles' framers assumed that republican virtue would lead to states to carry out their duties and obey congressional decisions. But the states refused to make their contributions to the central government. Its acts were "as little heeded as the cries of an oysterman." As a result, Congress had to stop paying interest on the public debt. The Continental army threatened to mutiny over lack of pay.
A series of events during the 1780s convinced a group of national leaders that the Articles of Confederation provided a wholly inadequate framework of government.
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No single leader.
A lack in leadership will lead to poor organization.
9 out of 13 states must agree for a law to pass.
It also may be difficult to get 9 out of 13 to agree instead of a simple majority.
Congress cannot tax citizens directly. It can only request money from states.
This creates financial problems. States don't want to pay money...
Congress doesn't have the power to draft an army. It can only make requests.
There might not be enough people to
fight. They couldn't defend themselves under attack.
The government has no national court system.
Disputes among states might not always resolved. (Disunity)
All changes to the articles require approval of all 13 states.
This make changes nearly impossible. Its extremely hard to get 100% approval of anything.
Congress does not have the power to collect state's debts. (Money owed to the federal government)
States might not pay back their debt, creating financial problems
for the government.
Congress did not have the power to settle disputes among states.
In this situation, Congress can't help states with any conflict. States will become disunited.