State's Rights vs. Federal Rights

Since the Revolution, two camps emerged, the states wanting more rights themselves, and the states wanting more government control. The first organized government in the U.S. after the Revolutionary War was under the "Articles of Confederation." The thirteen states formed a weak federal government. When problems arose, the U.S. leaders got together and wrote and signed the Constitution. A few leaders who were in favor of state's rights were not present at the meeting, so they had no say in the Constitution. Many people said the Constitution took away the state's rights. After the Constitution was signed, the southern states wanted the right to rule federal acts unconstitutional. This right is called nullification. When nullification was denied and the South felt they were no longer respected, the southern states started to look towards secession.

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The southern states soon did secede, and became the Confederate States of America.