The Articles of confederation were the first constitution to govern the United States. They were adopted by the Continental Congress on November 15, 1777, but it took a long time for them to be ratified by the thirteen states. This was partly because the Articles of confederation were written by people who were not necessarily very well known to the rest of America, and partly because Congress had to relocate to escape British troops during the American Revolutionary War.
Who Were the Authors of the Articles?
The document was drafted by a committee that included delegates from each of the 13 colonies. John Dickinson, a delegate from Pennsylvania, served as the committee’s chairman and wrote much of the first draft.
When the document was drafted, it had 13 articles that gave powers to the federal government of the United States. These powers included the right to engage in foreign relations, declare war, determine the value of coins minted in the US, borrow money, and appoint military officers.
During the first years of independence, the national government under the Articles of confederation was weak. In particular, it was not able to tax or regulate trade. It could only raise money by asking the states for funds, borrowing from foreign governments, or selling western lands.
It also did not have the power to draft soldiers or regulate trade, which left many Americans wondering how they would be able to defend their own interests abroad.
As a result, the Articles of confederation were not very popular with many citizens of the United States. This was partly because it was difficult to read and partly because the document did not provide for any sort of president or national courts.
Who Was the Delegate to Congress When Was the Articles of confederation Written?
In the early 1750s, a group of delegates from each colony met in Albany to discuss how a unified federal government could be formed. This group, including Benjamin Franklin, authored the Albany Plan of Union.
After the resolution of independence from Great Britain, the Second Continental Congress drafted a resolution stating that the government should be a confederation of the thirteen colonies. On June 11, 1776, the Congress appointed three committees. One of these committees was tasked with preparing a draft of the articles of confederation for a future national Congress.
The committee submitted six drafts of the articles to Congress before settling on a final version in 1777. During this time, two delegates from Connecticut, Silas Deane and Benjamin Franklin, submitted their own versions.
By the end of 1777, the Articles had been approved by all but Rhode Island and Maryland. These states were unable to ratify the Articles because of the problems with land claims and state sovereignty. These difficulties prompted a movement to reform the Articles. By May 1787, delegates from twelve of the thirteen states (Rhode Island sent no representatives) convened in Philadelphia to address these issues.
