The Constitution: The Effect Of The Weak Articles Of Confederation

The Constitution of the United States of America was framed in part by The Articles of

Last year, our new government was formed. We agreed to what the Articles had said. It seems that now we are having issues with what we had once agreed with. In this newsletter, I will only address four of the most problematic things in the Articles of Confederation. However there are many more that will not be brought to light today.

The most significant issues that the United States had under the Articles of Confederation were: “managing the western expansion, foreign relations, and debt.” The first significant issue was with the western expansion as Americans relocated to the Nashville, western Pennsylvania, and Kentucky areas in mass numbers in the 1780s. The result of this meant that the areas were enhanced greatly that had western charters. At the time, the northern and southern areas (in the Appalachian Mountains and Mississippi River) had specific boundaries based on the original colonized charters which meant that the western area was the Pacific Ocean. The states that did not have part of the western area resented the condition and as a result, Maryland protested by not approving the Articles of Confederation unless the state of Virginia yielded its western land to the federal government which they did in 1784. However, their yielding was not without strings attached as they demanded that they be allowed to keep a small portion of the land reserve for their own use as a part of the deal which Congress had no choice but to accept. Eighteen years later in 1802, every state had yielded their western land to the federal government.

During the Revolutionary War, colonists believed that they needed a sense of unified government, so this led to the creation of the Articles of Confederation, the first written constitution of the United States (history.com). Although the Articles of Confederation had its strengths, such as allowing the central government to create treaties and maintain military, it had many weaknesses, such as preventing the central government to levy taxes and regulate trade. It also could not be changed unless there was a unanimous decision and it lacked a stable currency. Since the creation of the Articles of Confederation had many issues and weaknesses, the Continental Congress rewrote the Articles into what is now known as the U.S Constitution. The Constitution established a national government, guaranteed basic rights for the colonists and revised almost everything that was wrong in the original Articles, such as the sovereignty that resided primarily in the states and the lack of power from the national government. The Constitution was later ratified by all 13 states in May 1790, with the support of the Federalist Party. [A] Federalists believed in the commitment to a strong national government and in the practice of a separation of powers. However, Anti-Federalists had the opposite view which was the opposition of a strong national government, the support for small landowners, and the representation of rights of the people. Anti-Federalists believed that a strong national government

The Articles of Confederation were placed as a form of temporary government. However, the Articles did not address the many problems the United States was having and going to have at the time. Therefore The Articles of Confederation were one of the weakest forms of functioning governments.

The Articles of Confederation was the United State’s first constitution, it was written in an effort to unite the states after the American Revolution and served as a blueprint for the modern constitution. In order for the Articles to become official, they had to be approved by all thirteen colonies. Although Congress sent the Articles of Confederation to the states around the end of 1777 to become ratified, they were not officially adopted until March 1, 1781. Under these Articles, the states remained sovereign and independent, with Congress serving as the last resort on appeal of disputes. The American people feared a strong national government and as a result of this, the Articles of Confederation were specifically designed to be weak in the sense that each state maintains its own sovereignty and all rights to govern themselves, with the except of the rights exclusively granted to Congress. Since the Articles lacked many necessary components to keep a nation properly structured, they were eventually revised into the constitution we recognize today. Although, the Articles of Confederation seemed as though it only contained weaknesses, within the document, many strengths and accomplishments were made. Overall, the Articles of Confederation were proven to be both efficient and non-efficient during the time period they were in effect.

The Articles of Confederation will not work and are too weak. Although the idea is noble, we will never succeed as a country as long as it is run as a Confederacy. Under these articles, laws will be harder to pass, taxes will not be collected and Congress cannot regulate trade. Without any of these, the country will quickly realize it will not last long. We will need a new system to govern our new country or we could fall right back into the English’s hands.

In Early 1775 (carrying on for another five years after stating their independence), the Continental Congress was still without a constitution for their government. Delegates began to clobber out these principles between 1776 till November 1777. The end result was known as the Articles of Confederation. These articles described the confederation as a loosely united country. They also provided the union with a limited congress, and left the political power to the states. Taxation would be directed by the state legislature; only charging more duties from densely populated areas (meaning less from scarcely populated states.) But the states were never compelled to pay it.

Fixing the problems of the Articles of Confederation was a lengthy series of debates, after and during the convention. There was six weakness in the Articles of Confederation, these weaknesses introduced a big deal of conflict, through the drafting of the Constitution, even if we tried the best to solve the weaknesses. When the Founding Fathers signed the Constitution in 1787, it needed ratifications from nine states before the Constitution could go into effect. This was a very difficult task and the push for this brought on endless documents, articles, and pamphlets that were both and supporting it. During the Great Debate there were two sides to it, the Federalists and the Anti-Federalists.

The Congress was under the Articles of Confederation and their power was limited to regulate trade. There was not strong leadership, legislative incapability, and economic confusion. England had banned all American ships from the West Indies and put restrictions on competitive items. American forces were inadequate to the Mediterranean pirates, who disliked American trade ships in the Atlantic and the Caribbean. “Without the capital to maintain a strong army or navy, the government under the Articles could do little to stop the marauding of American ships and pillaging of American goods.” (Schultz, p. 123, 2009) The Articles of Confederation created financial hardship for America by asking states to help pay off debt. The Articles of Confederation also gave authority to the state, which led to much conflict in judicial, handling foreign relations, and threats against America.

The national government created under the Articles of Confederation was very weak. in fact, it was more like a treaty or an organization similar to today's United Nations more than a country. The individual states kept their independence completely. It was as if they were all their own separate countries. They sent representatives to decide matters of national importance, but there were no elections. These representatives were chosen by the states, usually the legislatures. There was no judicial or executive branch. The only thing that the national government had the power to do was go to war and conduct foreign affairs, such as entering into treaties. The national government did not have the power to tax-- this was left up to the states,

In 1777, the first U.S. government was created during the Revolutionary War. Americans thought that the government had several weaknesses, and they needed to make a fast solution to make a better nation. Several ratifications took place to make official laws. Delegates saw how the Americans felt, so they all gathered from all thirteen states in Philadelphia. They all gathered at a town meeting, and they discussed on what should be created to solve several conflicts. The new Constitutions was created so slavery, taxation, and representation in Congress would have rules. The laws helped citizens to set them limitations so there would be no conflicts. Several meetings and agreements took place to create the Articles of Confederation, the Three- Fifths Compromise, and ratifying the Constitution to form a government.

The new Constitution fixes the problems that we have had under the Articles of Confederation. We have not had anyone oversee and make sure that laws are carried out. The Constitution sets up a president to do this. Do not fear that he would be a king, though, for he is not to have all power. It should be shared with two other government branches. One of these branches, called the Judicial Branch, adds national courts, which will help people settle disputes too big for a state court. Congress was left very little power at all under the Articles of Confederation. With the Constitution, Congress will be able to control the printing and sending of money in the States. This will allow Congress to pay off their debts remaining after the war. Congress

After declaring independence from Great Britain, the newly independent nation had to form a government that would satisfy the needs of the people while still maintaining state sovereignty and independence. The 13 individual states formed a confederation where they were united as one nation despite having the vast majority of powers lie among the states unlike a unitary system where all the power lie with the national government. After its adoption in 1777, the Articles of Confederation became the first U.S Constitution that established a system of government and set up guiding principles for the government and states to follow in order to maintain order and sovereignty among states. As the Articles of Confederation continued to be exercised, delegates soon realized the limits and weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation such as the government's lack of power to enforce laws, levy taxes, and regulate commerce; however, despite these weaknesses, the Articles of Confederation introduced Congress, ended the American Revolution, and developed policies for managing western territories through the passing of the Northwest Ordinance of 1787.

Declaring its independence from Great Britain, to form the beginning of a government. The Articles of Confederation, that did not good for its economy. It to be a failure, we did not have common currency, nor the right to collect tax, and lacked the military power. Besides, the government only have one branch, Congress. Causing a lack of national court system and presidency. The Virginal and New Jersey Plan called for a strong national government with three branches . Delegate consider to revise the Articles of Confederation and call it the Constitution. The outcome, Great Compromise, provided a bicameral congress and a House of Representative. George Washington elected chairman and Benjamin Franklin as a calm and unifying influence. James Madison and Alexander Hamilton wanted a new document. Hence, people were frighten that the officials will seize and abuse their power. James Madison wanted the Constitution to be base on a system of checks and balances. Delegates believe in a system with checks and more critics. The Constitution change slavery, trading, and representation. Constitution enabled a state to shut-off slave importation if it wanted, after 1807. Delegate have to ratify the Constitution with a favorable vote of 9/13 states.