The Articles of Confederation were created to establish a "perpetual union" and a framework for governance among the thirteen American colonies during the Revolutionary War. They aimed to unify the colonies while preserving each state's sovereignty and independence, reflecting the colonies' wariness of a strong central government like the British Crown. The Articles provided a system in which the states retained most of the power, creating a weak central government primarily for common defense, mutual welfare, and securing liberties. This arrangement was intentional, designed to avoid the infringements on rights experienced under British rule and to maintain a loose alliance of sovereign states rather than a strong national government.
