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An Empirical Test of Federalist and Anti-Federalist Theories of StateContributions, 1775-1783

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 January 2016

Keith L. Dougherty
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Abstract

This article tests Federalist and Anti-Federalist explanations for statecontributions to the confederation government using data on troop requisitionsfrom 1775 to 1783. The Federalists claimed that state politicians actedunilaterally and contributed when the Continental army protected their state'sinterests. The Anti-Federalists claimed that state politicians understood theirduty to the Union and contributed to advance its needs. The results suggestthat, with one important caveat, states contributed more consistent with theFederalist argument. This helps explain why the Articles of Confederation neededreform.

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Social Science History , Volume 33 , Issue 1 , Spring 2009 , pp. 47 - 74
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Copyright © Social Science History Association 2009 

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