The Americans created a loose confederation of states in the Articles of Confederation because they were wary of creating a strong central government that could become too powerful and potentially tyrannical, as they had just fought a war to gain independence from Britain's strong central government. They believed that a confederation of states, in which each state retained a high degree of autonomy and the central government had limited powers, would be a more appropriate form of government for their new nation. This approach was meant to ensure that the federal government would not have too much power, while still providing a way for the states to work together and address common problems.