Question

“The Declaration of Independence, drawn up by the Continental Congress, was actually a declaration by ‘thirteen united States of America’ proclaiming that as ‘Free and Independent States they have full power to levy war, conclude peace, contract alliances, establish commerce, and to do all other acts and things which independent States may of right do.’ And the Articles of Confederation, for all the powers it theoretically gave to the Congress, did not in fact alter this independence. . . . Congressional resolutions continued to be mere recommendations which the states were left to enforce. . . . The Confederation was intended to be, and remained, a Confederation of sovereign states.”

Gordon S. Wood, historian, The Creation of the American Republic, 1776–1787, published in 1969

Which of the following does the author use to support his argument about the power of the states under the Confederation?


Foundational political documents written during the American Revolution

Option A,Foundational political documents written during the American Revolution

a

Journals written by leaders of the Continental Army

Option B,Journals written by leaders of the Continental Army

b

Arguments eventually published as The Federalist papers

Option C,Arguments eventually published as The Federalist papers

c

Treaties signed with Great Britain and France

Answer 1

Option A.

Wood cites the Declaration of Independence and the Articles of Confederation—foundational political documents—to show that the states retained sovereignty and that Congress's acts were largely recommendations.