3. Authorities & decisions: The Articles of Confederation

Decision-makers, laws and consequences

Congress adopted the Articles of Confederation in 1777; ratification was completed in 1781. State governments retained substantial sovereignty while Congress lacked an independent general power to tax individuals.

Robert Morris and other officials sought stable revenue for war debts. The system’s weaknesses helped prompt the 1787 Philadelphia Convention, although some critics feared stronger central government.

Institutional consequences

The authorities identified above acted within institutions that determined who could govern, enforce decisions and challenge official power. The resulting changes to political participation, legal status, military control or property administration are part of the historical record of this specific event, rather than evidence that every later government followed the same path.