Federalism Beginnings in the United States

The Beginnings of Modern Federalism

Introduction to Federalism Beginnings

The United States began as a confederation. A weak central government ruled the country from 1783 to 1789 under the Articles of Confederation. Each state had an equal voice in Congress, but Congress could not collect taxes to operate the government. The confederation of states had no chief executive and no central body with enough power to make the states abide by the Articles of Confederation. Some states refused to follow the terms of the 1783 Treaty of Paris that ended the American Revolution, even though the Articles of Confederation gave Congress the right to make treaties for all the states. Trade disputes with Great Britain and other countries paralyzed the economy, but the Articles of Confederation left Congress powerless to take charge of international trade. Some states imposed heavy taxes on goods from neighboring states, further stifling commerce.

The ensuing economic crisis threatened to destroy the young country, but no political authority had power to assume leadership. “The wheels of government are clogged,” future president George Washington remarked in 1785. Washington and other statesmen realized that the country could only survive if the central government had more power, but they also wanted to avoid trampling the rights of the states. In 1787 political leaders held the Constitutional Convention to confront the crisis, and this historic meeting produced the principles of modern federalism.” (1)

Resources

Notes and References

• Information about Federalism Beginnings in the Encarta Online Encyclopedia

Guide to Federalism Beginnings

In this Section

Federalism, Federalism Beginnings, Federalism in the Constitution and Federalism Conflicts.