Topic > Role and Consequences of the Articles of Confederation

The Treaty of Paris of 1783 ended the Revolutionary War between Great Britain and its former colonies, America. After a long and gruesome war with many lives lost, the former colonists finally won their independence at the Battle of Yorktown. The defeat of the English at the Battle of Yorktown would not have been possible without the help of the French. The French played a strategic and important role in the plight of the settlers for independence against the British stronghold. Maintaining their own personal prejudices against Britain and wanting them to lose the colonies and lowering some of Britain's status, the French decided to help the colonists once they demonstrated perseverance in gaining independence at the Battle of Sara-toga . With the help of France, gaining independence was only a matter of time for the colonists, the British citizens were tired of paying an expensive bill for a seemingly pointless war. After winning the war, and finally being recognized as their own country by Great Britain, Spain, and France (all major European powers of the time), the colonists faced a new problem: forming a new government. As the predecessor of the Constitution, the Articles of Confederation were the first document to outline an entirely new government separate from the British after the Revolution. One of the most important things to note about the articles is that they did not require a central figure in government such as a president or any type of monarchy. The articles clearly showed colonists' fears about the role of a central government and allowing a minority to control the actions of the majority. The authors of the Articles of Confederation gave limited power to a central government and clearly outlined numerous other ways in which the new American government would be run and all of this was a result of the fears and prejudices that the colonists had after the Revolution, and in part because of Great Britain. .Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay The Articles of Confederation established power for each state. The decisions of a federal government could not be made without the consent of all the states. The articles also called for the creation of a unicameral legislature, in which each state had one vote. According to the articles, the states and their elected officials were far more important than anything the central government had invented. Instead of a multitude bowing to the power of a few, just as the colonists did before Parliament and the King of England, the newly created central government bowed to the will of the majority. The colonists hoped that with a government that made the will of its people paramount, they would never have to face the oppression they suffered at the hands of England. After all the laws and regulations imposed on the colonies by Great Britain, such as the Quebec Act, the Townsend Duties, the Quartering Act, the Sugar Act, the Stamp Act and so on, the colonists were afraid of a minority imposing itself on a large majority, which is why they tightened their grip on the central government and limited its decisions and powers and allowed only the states closest to the multitude to make important decisions, this is also why independent states developed its own Bill of Rights and what individual promises were to be respected for each citizen of a particular State. Someone at the time of the Articles is quoted in history as having said that, according to the Articles, America was only a league of friendship and..