DBQ Essay: The United States Constitution

After the independence of the United States was a good thing, but at the same time there were problems with the creation of the nation. First problems began with the Articles of Confederation because in 1777, the Articles of Confederation established a weak confederal Government that operated until 1789. The articles were a compilation of plans written by the Governors of each of the thirteen colonies. Although it was an important step toward unification successful, the weakness of those articles was giving no importance to all the problems of the young country. This document, however, would not be effective without the ratification of the thirteen States.

Ever heard of the Articles of Confederation? Thought not. That’s because within only 8 years of their ratification, they were gotten rid of. This was because, among other things, there were no courts, no national currency, and no taxes. So in May of 1787, 55 men gathered together in Philadelphia to come up with a better plan.

Lectures Lecture 14 “Questions to Consider #1”: Why did the Anti Federalists object so strongly to the Preamble to the Constitution? The Anti-Federalists objected so strongly to Preamble to the Constitution due to the fact the Preamble establishes powers for the three branches of government, states’ relations, mode of amendment, debts, national supremacy, oath of office, and amendment ratification. This group felts as though when the federalists wanting to create a strong central government would not be strong enough if the Preamble was not put into place. Lecture 14 states, “Anti-federalists suspicious of central power fought the new Constitution tenaciously…..

The United States Constitution was created to define the powers and limitations of the government. It replaced the Articles of the Confederation, and was ratified by all 13 states in 1787 (American Government, n.d.). The ratification of the Constitution was not without opposition, and the government was split into two groups: federalists, and anti-federalists. The federalist group believed that a national governing body, ruled by the elite class was necessary. Antifederalists, on the other hand, believed that state governments should have more say, and that the government should be run by ordinary people (American Government, n.d.).

The United States Constitution of 1787 was created in order to build a strong infrastructure for our country to pave a pathway for the future people in charge of the law. The topic in which the constitution was pro slavery or anti slavery was highly controversial for a number of reasons. This topic put the government into many debates though its constitutional convention as the word slavery itself was never said in the actual document. Even Though it was not said, it was clear that the ones in power were biased toward the slave owners in the country based on the provisions that were made. It may be debated as something in between as nothing was explicitly stated, but the three-fifths compromise stating that enslaved persons were not three fifths

The federal government instituted a legislative branch that deals with creating laws, the executive branch which contains the president, and the judicial branch which is the national court that interprets the law. As a result, checks and balances and separations of powers were created so none of the branches become too powerful. Another reason why Anti-federalists didn’t want to ratify was that there wasn’t a Bill of Rights. Patrick Henry had problems with the Constitution as there were no protections for the rights and liberties that American citizens held. (Doc 6)

After the Articles of Confederation failed because they failed to give enough power to the national government and congress, our founding father’s needed to reflect on its flaws for a new system to be set in place. Their new creation, our Constitution, was then set into place, and was created from a basis of the Articles of Confederation. The Articles of Confederation directly influence the Constitution by its failure by changing some of the responsibilities of the federal and state governments. The Articles of Confederation gave too much power to the states, and the Constitution changed that.

Maggie Flinn Shannon Oles US & MA Government & Civic Life 17 February 2023 The Rise and Fall of The Articles of Confederation Nearly all Americans know of the United States Constitution, our treasured governing document that has been in effect for over 200 years. Although, not all are aware that the Constitution was not the first document to be used to direct our nation. The predecessor to the Constitution lasted around 10 years, but was eventually scrapped and remade. What was this original plan for the government, and why did it fail?

The Articles of Confederation were designed to be guidelines for the interactions between the states and the federal government after the Declaration of Independence and during Revolutionary War. These articles proved to be an utter failure due to a number of relevant factors including: No real power to the federal government, no means for Congress to enforce laws, and no power to implement taxation to name a few. The Congress’s powers over the states were specific and finite, it had the sole power to negotiate treaties, declare war, and make peace. It also reserved the right to maintain an army and navy and regulated interaction with Native Americans in the Western part of the country. The delegates also granted Congress the power to resolve interstate disputes,

The Articles of Confederation was the first Constitution for the states as a whole (each state had their own by this time), but it was written in a manner that assigned duties, but not so much as to give sweeping power and risk a totalitarian government. Under the Articles of Confederation, the colonies were a “League of Friendship” and not a truly functioning government (Journals of the Continental Congress, 1774-1789, p. 546). The sovereignty of the states and people were front and center, but this created an issue for the function and decision making ability of the Congress. As written by Alexander Hamilton to James Duane, 3 Sept. 1780, this makes “our union feeble and precarious.” The Articles limited the functionality of the Congress

The Articles of Confederation did not adequately control and decrease the negative impacts of groups on the country, and in this manner another government was essential. The administration laid out in the Constitution was perfect since it was a republic, an agent government that would keep self-intrigued interests from holding an excessive amount of influence over the legislature. It was equally substantial, containing agents from each state and various vested parties, making it troublesome for one faction to overwhelm and stifle the others. Delegates would be chosen by a large group of individuals, assuring that just the most commendable would hold office. At last, laws were gone by the entire country, making it troublesome for issues in one state to invade and influence others.

Overtime in history, the United States has developed documents from the Puritans idea of Covenant to what we have today-The Constitution of the United States. The Puritans eventually escaped to freedom in America from England and then later, helped show colonists through experience and history how to develop certain parts of The Constitution. Most events leading up to writing The Constitution, have parts in it that fixes problems of specific events so that if another event similar to the one prior happens, the United States would already know one solution. Throughout U.S. history, there have been people and their cultures expand during and after the Puritans idea of Covenant, such as the Quakers, the Pilgrims, and the colonists.

Under this constitution nearly all control was given to the states. Nevertheless, while the Articles was weakening due to not having much power over the states, the new and improved Constitution was able to generate something greater. They built a strong central government that united the country as one. The Constitution

By writing a new constitution, the farmers were able to address the problems which the nation faced under the Articles of Confederation. The most important issues were addressed by the establishment of a stronger national government that was selected by the citizens. Unlike the Articles of Confederation, were each state maintain its own sovereign rule, each state was represented equally in Congress through the representatives elected by its citizen. Therefore, power was no longer placed in a single institution such as the states or one overall governing body, but rather in the hands of the people. This government had the power to tax, regulate trade and commerce, and coin a national currency with a majority vote versus a unanimous vote.

The national government would tax on a national level, create a national currency, have national foreign diplomats, regulate international trade, and even maintain a national mail service. The state governments controlled most police powers, health, education, and welfare. However, the Tenth Amendment states that “The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.”. Conflicts over states rights have been prevalent since the formation of the Constitution, the largest of which was seen in the Civil War on the institution of slavery and whether the federal government had the right to regulate or even abolish slavery. This power was previously held by the states, and it was a testy conflict to say the