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After the Revolutionary War, the American states were independent from Great Britain. They needed to create a system of government to run this new nation. The first system created was known as the Articles of Confederation and was adopted by the Congress on November 15, 1777. In its final form, the Articles of Confederation were comprised of a preamble and 13 articles. The Articles of Confederation were finally ratified by the last of the 13 American states, Maryland, in 1781 and became the ruling document in the new nation. The Articles created a nation that was "a league of friendship and perpetual union." The state governments retained most of the power under the Articles, with little power given to the central government. Congress, for example, had to rely upon the states for its funds and for the execution of its decrees. The central government received little respect and was not able to accomplish much because it had little authority over states or individuals in America. This is why the Articles of Confederation did not work for the United States.
On May 25th 1787, The Constitutional Convention opened at Independence Hall in Philadelphia with seven states being represented. Few days later, delegates from four other states arrived. A government that will pay its debts and maintain a stable currency system would serve the personal financial interest of the delegates.
A system of government in which the power is divided between a central authority and constituent political units is Federal...

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Federalism. (1969, December 31). In Retrieved 11:21, August 31, 2015, from