Soon after the end of the Revolutionary War -- if not before -- it
             became clear that the Articles of Confederation were not a workable
             arrangement. Wartime contingency measures might have papered over the most
             immediate problems, but with the coming of peace something more regular was
             needed. The defects of the Articles produced a host of disputes among
             states, which could not be resolved under its terms, and which times were
             serious enough to lead to militia skirmishing.
             More broadly, a fundamental issue had been left unresolved: Was the
             "United States" a nation in its own right, or a mere confederation of semi-
             autonomous states' This was not just an abstract question -- a great many
             group and individual interests were wrapped up in it. By and large,
             commercial interests were interested in a strong national government,
             creating an internal free-trade zone and consistent legal rules concerning
             trade. Other wealthy interests, however, had mainly local influence --
             large landowners, for example, who in this era might still expect a quasi-
             feudal deference from tenants and neighbors. Their local standing would be
             diminished in a more unified national political structure. However, even
             these interests conceded that the original Articles were unworkable, while
             on the other hand many proponents of a stronger central government still
             had anxieties that it might become authoritarian, in 18th century language
             The Constitutional Convention was initially convened merely to patch
             up the Articles of Confederation, but it was dominated by proponents of
             stronger central government. Instead of modifying the Articles it threw
             them out entirely. Both Federalists and Anti-Federalists thereupon engaged
             in a propaganda battle. The Federalists won this in a mismatch: the
             Federalist has gone down as a political classic, while the Anti-Federalist
             writings have all but vanished f...