Dec of Ind vs Constitution
The Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union were drafted by a committee headed by John Dickinson on July 12, 1776. The colonies were still weary of strong central government after the problems they faced with the Parliament in England. Therefore, rather than granting authority to a central government, the Articles of Confederation gave the majority of power to the states. While Congress had power over foreign affairs, war and peace, coinage, postal service, and Indian affairs, there were no courts to enforce the resolutions, laws, and taxes on the states. Instead, Congress relied on state requisitions, which states could easily ignore. (Tindall/Shi 208). Important acts required a "special majority" in which nine out of the thirteen states had to approve of the act. This was used in measures taken with war, treaties, coinage, finances, and the army and navy. All amendments to the Articles required unanimous ratif
Farmers became angry because crop prices dropped and their land taxes were increased in order to gain revenue for war debts. Captain Daniel Shays, a war veteran and farmer, led a rebellion of 1,200 farmers against the federal arsenal in Springfield in 1787. (Tindall/Shi 216) They wanted a better monetary policy consisting of the right to use corn and wheat as hard money. The farmers also wanted a break from taxes until the depression lifted. The rebels fought and four were killed. This small riff convinced many politicians that the states were in need of a different and better suited constitution. Three branches were also proposed: the Legislative Branch, the Judicial Branch, and the Executive Branch. The Legislative branch is made up of Congress, Senate, and the House of Representatives. The Judicial Branch contains the Supreme Court, and the Executive Branch is the Office of the President. These three branches hav
Some common words found in the essay are:
Constitution Due, Daniel Shays, Instead Congress, George Washington, Articles Confederation, Office President, President Congress, Rhode Island, Benjamin Franklin, Dickinson July, articles confederation, central government, foreign affairs, executive branch, judicial branch, legislative branch,
Approximate Word count = 629
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)
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