Page 83 - Beers With Our Founding Fathers

A Patriot’s view of the history and direction of our Country

The Articles of Confederation
st
Drafts beginning 1775, Ratified March 1 1781

The Articles of Confederation [Articles] were the first governing
laws of the new United States of America. The Articles were

replaced by our present Constitution in 1787. Articles detailing a
government were introduced six times, a full year before declaring

independence. Recalling that not until early 1776 did the

Continental Congress propose separation from England, it is asked
why the Continental Congress would undertake drafting a
document? It would be treasonous, and it was not consistent with

remaining to be limited self-governing subjects of England. Our

Founding Fathers knew that with the colonies in outright revolt,
there were limited outcomes – and losing was not an option. Losing

would be both personally deadly and, for the colonies, a dictatorship
with brutal retaliation. There was an urgent need to win the war –

to fight oppression, have equal representation, and the authority for
a form of limited self-government. There was a need for this to be

recognized by foreign governments, and to receive much needed

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