Page 85 - Beers With Our Founding Fathers

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

would pay the central government based on landholdings and

improvements; slavery was excluded. It is important to remember
that the American War for Independence was still ongoing and the

future of a country was in the balance, it simply was not a matter to
be taken up in forming a government and would be left to the new

government.
This new governing document contained several key provisions.

Two of the most important: 1) “Congress takes full responsibility for
all debts from the American Revolution”; and 2) “All states agree to

follow the rules of the Articles and the decisions of Congress and to
never violate the union.” The former relieved the states of debts

they independently incurred for the war, and the latter both
compelled the states to compliance with ratification and denied

secession – preserving the union and unity that was imperative to
winning the still present war. Enforcing the Articles was not

specifically provided for.
In uniting the states, the new confederation would provide for

the common defense of the states, security of liberties and general
welfare. Instead of the bi-camera Congress Paine had endeavored

for, the Articles provided for a uni-camera Congress as the sole
central governing body. This new Congress would continue to

provide for each state to have one vote, with the state delegates to
Congress elected by the legislators. This was also different than

what Paine and others had endeavored for – equal representation of

each state (i.e. senate) and also equal representation by population
(i.e. representatives).

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