The Articles of the Confederation contained 13 articles that ruled the 13 Colonies recently liberated from the British Crown. They were the basis to the Federal Constitution that would replace it a few years later.
In summary, the articles expressed:
1. The Confederation name as The United States of America;
2. The sovereignty of each Confederation State;
3. The compromise of each State with liberty;
4. Ensure the perpetual friendship between the States;
5. The presence of one State Representative in the Congress;
6. The Central Government would have the right to a war declaration, after mutual decision;
7. States would be able to promote their army;
8. National expenditures would be shared between all States;
9. The formation of a National Congress;
10. The rules of the Congress recesses;
11. The possibility for the Canadian Province of Quebec to join the Confederation;
12. The existence of war debts before the Articles;
13. The perpetuity of the declaration.
Unfortunately, for the Confederation States, there was a lack of power, as this declaration didn’t make them strong enough to develop by themselves, needing a centralized government to reinforce the Confederation non-dissolution. An example is the Shay’s Rebellion, which exposed the state's weakness.
Therefore economic and trade matters were ruled by each state, which brought more difficulties for their development. After the Constitutional Convention, held in Philadelphia in 1787, it was decided that a Central Government would be formed, and the head of the State would be the Head of the Nation.
The Articles of the Confederation ruled the 13 Colonies from July 1776, until Novembre 1777. The Federal Constitution was adopted on March 4, 1789.
