Topic: Articles Of Confederation

Abolitionist Lysander Spooner’s 1870 work, No Treason: The Constitution of No Authority, argues that the U.S. Constitution lacks legal validity. Historical records suggest the 1787 Philadelphia Convention was hijacked to replace the Articles of Confederation without authorization. At the time of the first elections, less than 1% of the population actually voted, yet newspapers and bankers portrayed the new government as a legitimate mandate.

The transition from the Articles of Confederation to the U.S. Constitution is framed as a secret coup by elite lawyers, bankers, and land barons acting under British financial duress. Following the war, soldiers returned to find themselves subjected to heavier federal taxes than they faced under the monarchy. This betrayal led to uprisings such as Shays' Rebellion in Massachusetts, as citizens realized the new central government mirrored the old monarchical reign.