So long as any individual state has power to defeat the measures of the other twelve, our pretended union is but a name, and our confederation, a cobweb.

Question

- Noah Webster

What fundamental problem did Noah Webster see in the Articles of Confederation?

A) that the states would have no way to stop the central government from imposing harsh taxes on them

B) that small sales would have just as much say in the government as larger states

C) that the central government would always favor large states over the smaller states when disputes broke out

D) that states would always work in their own self-interest even if it meant harm to the nation as a whole

Answer 1

Noah Webster's quote reflects his concern about the power of individual states to undermine the collective decisions of the confederation. The fundamental problem he saw in the Articles of Confederation was:

D) that states would always work in their own self-interest even if it meant harm to the nation as a whole.

Webster believed that the lack of a strong central authority would lead to a fragmented union where individual states could act contrary to the interests of the collective, thus rendering the confederation ineffective.

Answer 2

you sure

Answer 3

Yes, I am confident. Noah Webster's concern stemmed from the idea that if individual states retained too much power, they would prioritize their own interests over the common good, which could jeopardize the effectiveness and unity of the nation as a whole. This aligns with option D, which highlights the issue of states acting in their self-interest, potentially harming the nation.

The other options focus on specific structures of representation and taxation, but Webster's broader concern was about the ability of states to thwart collective action, which reflects a fundamental weakness in the Articles of Confederation. Therefore, option D best captures the essence of his criticism.