Under the Articles of Confederation, each state viewed its own sovereignty and power as paramount to the national good. However, the national government was unable to gather a combined military force among the states to help put down the rebellion, making clear a serious weakness in the structure of the Articles.

Article 9: Only the new central government had the power to make declare war, and make peace with foreign countries. The central government was also responsible for assigning Ambassadors to represent the United States in other countries.

All states were represented equally in Congress, and nine of the 13 states had to approve a bill before it became law. Under the Articles, the states, not Congress, had the power to tax. Congress could raise money only by asking the states for funds, borrowing from foreign governments, or selling western lands.

Jefferson also felt that the central government should be “rigorously frugal and simple.” As president he reduced the size and scope of the federal government by ending internal taxes, reducing the size of the army and navy, and paying off the government’s debt.

What light does Jefferson’s Bible shed on his personal religious beliefs? -Jefferson use his bible as a reflection of his beliefs. He followed his own spitual and created his own version of the New Testamentusing his bible. 2.

Jefferson’s third argument for religious liberties discounts the use of coercion and violence to force people to believe (as we saw, he holds that this can only lead to hypocrisy and resentment, betraying God’s intentions).