Declaring Independence
The first attempt at national government arose during the Revolutionary
War (1775–1783). State governments sent representatives to the Second
Continental Congress in 1776 to organize American efforts immediately
before and during the Revolutionary War. Instead of merely demanding better
treatment as British subjects, the congress decided to fight for full
independence.
The Declaration of Independence
Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence
in 1776 to formally break away from Great Britain and to justify the
Revolutionary War. According to the Declaration, “all men are created equal”
and certain rights and liberties cannot be denied to people. Among those
rights is self-government: The people must consent to the government for it
to be legitimate. Because the British government had repeatedly abused the
rights of the colonists and ignored their wishes, the colonists were no
longer obligated to obey the government.
The Articles of Confederation
The Second Continental Congress also wrote a constitution to create a
new national government. The Continental Congress approved the
Articles of Confederation, which took effect in 1781 during
the war. The national government under the Articles of Confederation
consisted of a single legislative body called Congress in which each state
received one vote. All congressional decisions required a unanimous vote.
The government under the Articles did not have a judicial system (national
courts) or an executive (such as a president). As a result, each state had a
significant degree of sovereignty and autonomy. The national government
under the Articles remained in effect until 1789.
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