Articles of the Confederation
The Articles of Confederation was the first constitution of the United States of America. The Articles of Confederation were first drafted by the Continental Congress in Philadelphia Pennsylvania in 1777. The Articles were not ratified until 1781 however. Under the Articles of Confederation, the United States' government was in a state of chaos. To end the existing chaos and build a stronger democratic society for the future, the government would need to be more powerful and centralized. The Articles created a weak, almost non-existent government that had neither an executive or judicial branch, which meant that it lacked enforcement powers. There were three problems that existed under the Articles of Confederation that would bring about an act of change. First, under the Articles of Confederation the government could not protect property and other rights of the citizens. Second, the society created under the Articles of Confederation lacked a means of advancing commerce and interstate trade. Congress had no power to tax. Instead, it was to assess its expenses and divide those among the states on the basis of the value of land. States were then to tax their own citizens to raise the money for these expenses and turn the proceeds
In creating the Constitution there were many conflicting views of how the newly created government should function. Alexander Hamilton wanted a strong central government in which a Senate and executive power were chosen for life by indirect election; therefore creating a completely controlling government. George Mason, an anti-federalist, objected to the final document because of the possibility that this new government would create aristocracy. Alexander Hamilton successfully proposed that the states be invited to send delegates to Philadelphia to render the constitution of the Federal Government adequate. As a result, the Constitutional Convention was held in May 1787. The Constitutional Convention, which wrote the Constitution of the United States, was held in Philadelphia on May 25, 1787. It was called by the Continental Congress and several states in response to the expected bankruptcy of Congress and a sense of panic arising from an armed revolt of Shay's Rebellion in New England. The convention's assigned job, following proposals made at the Annapolis Convention the previous September, was to create amendments to the Articles of Confederation. The delegates, however, immediately started writing a new constitution. On September 17 the Constitution was signed by a majority of the delegates present. There were a few problems within the Constitution of the United States of America, but the effects that it produced in society was far more positive than that of the Articles of Confederation. One of the main successes of the new Constitution was the idea of Separation of Powers. Separation of powers is the plan that political power should be divided among several bodies as a precaution against tyranny. The blueprint for United States' separation of powers is laid out in the U
Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1206
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)
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