by Sally Morem

Created on: August 25, 2009

In 1775, when fighting broke out in Massachusetts, no formal political association existed linking the 13 British colonies in North America to one another. Cooperation between the colonies during the early part of the American Revolution grew out of informal, grassroots associations, such as the Sons of Liberty and the Committees of Correspondence.

Nor was there any question of "states' rights" at that time, since there were no states as such.

In 1775, as the need for a more formal institution for cooperation grew obvious, the colonies formed their first association, the Continental Congress. Here, all matters and concerns addressing the war and relations to foreign powers were discussed and voted upon. Here, the delegates wrestled with the issue of independence from or reconciliation with Great Britain.

When they finally decided against reconciliation and adopted the Declaration of Independence, the colonies were no longer colonies, but "free and independent states." State assemblies busied themselves rewriting colonial charters as state constitutions. They gutted executive power, in some cases by abolishing the office of governor. They wanted no chance of centralized political power turning into tyranny. They wanted no kings.

They also grappled with the issue of defining "taxation with representation." Would proper representation consist of equal representation of towns and townships in the state assembly or representation based on population? Or perhaps comparative wealth would be a better gauge of voting strength. "One man-one vote" was a concept not yet on America's political horizon. Later, what was learned about political philosophy during these debates was put to good use by delegates at the Constitutional Convention.

As Americans negotiated in Europe for allies in their fight against Great Britain, it became clear that they needed something more substantial in the way of a continental government, more legalistic than a Congress of delegates appointed by the various state assemblies. So, American delegates began discussions on creating a formal, written, national constitution. This would become the Articles of Confederation. It was adopted in 1777 without Maryland. Maryland joined later.

The Articles was an effort to avoid the massively centralized structure of government Great Britain operated under. This was more than merely an issue of states' rights as opposed to that of a powerful national government.

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