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 evidence is used by the author to support his argument about state independence?


The ability of state governments to nullify the laws of other states

Option A,The ability of state governments to nullify the laws of other states

a

The ability of the central government to declare war

Option B,The ability of the central government to declare war

b

The inability of state governments to collect taxes

Option C,The inability of state governments to collect taxes

c

The inability of the central government to carry out many laws

Answer 1

D — The inability of the central government to carry out many laws.

Wood cites that congressional resolutions were merely recommendations the states had to enforce, showing the central government lacked enforcement power.