The Articles of Confederation was America's first attempt at creating a government and constitution. Based on their previous experience as a British colony, they wanted to make sure there government was structured differently. One of the biggest elements that founding fathers wanted out of their new government was a very small central (federal) government. This makes sense, as the most significant factor for us fighting for independence from Britain's overbearing central government.
This is why the Articles of Confederation was a "loose league of friendship." All states agreed upon being independent from Britain but wanted the authority to make rules that fit their respective culture. This ultimately failed, as the lack of any power in the federal government lead to little cotinuity among states.
