Chapter 6:
At the Second Continental Congress, the colonies put aside their territorial and trade quarrels to raise an army, conduct diplomatic relations, and carry on the functions of a government, which they codified in the Articles of Confederation-a document that actually retarded their ability to wage the war, what with its strict limits on federal power. The Revolutionary War itself moved from the North in its early years to the South, where the British felt they had an advantage. However, despite some victories, the British were never able to capitalize on their military and economic superiority and the war ended with independence and a very generous treaty for the Americans. With the dawn of independence, Americans sought to create a new political order and to define republican principles in light of the states' clashing social and economic interests. Emphasis at the state and federal level was put on limiting governmental power and placing responsibility ultimately with the people. Under the Articles of Confederation power was centered in the states, where debates arose over the separation of church and state, the treatment of loyalists, slavery, taxes, and the involvement of government in the economy.
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