The authors of the Articles of Confederation wanted to establish a federal government with limited power because they were wary of creating a centralized government that would potentially become too powerful and infringe upon the rights and freedoms of individual states. They were also concerned about repeating the same kind of tyrannical rule they had experienced under British colonial rule. Additionally, the states at that time were largely autonomous and were reluctant to give up their sovereignty to a central authority. Thus, the Articles of Confederation created a weak central government with limited powers in order to protect the autonomy and independence of the individual states.
