Name U.S History Instructors name 10/14/14 Federalist Vs Anti-federalist From 1787-1790 the development of the American Constitution was a battle between two opposing political philosophies. America’s best political minds gathered in Philadelphia and other cities in the Northeast in order to find common ground in a governmental structure. The Federalists and the Anti-Federalists had both some political thoughts that agreed as well as some political thoughts that disagreed. However, both parties would compromise and ultimately come together. The Federalist Party, led by James Madison, was in favor of the newly formed Constitution.
The Constitution of the United States was written in 1787, but there was a struggle for its ratification that went on until 1790. Members of Congress believed that the Articles of Confederation, the first government of the United States, needed to be altered while others did not want change. After the Revolutionary War, there was a need for strong state centered governments, rather than a strong central government based on their experience as a colony. However, a record reveals that the Articles of Confederation were not meeting the needs of Americans, and the need for a new Constitution was desired. This desired Constitution created a huge dispute and argument between the Federalists and the Anti-Federalists.
Constitution Paper In the wake of The Revolutionary war, The Continental Congress faced significant debt, economic challenges and lack of elected authority to resolve financial and trade issues. They resolved to form a legal framework in which they would have elected authority to print money, pay off war incurred debt, and manage trade. The Articles of Confederation were drafted between 1776 and 1777, by principal author John Dickinson, a lawyer who also wrote “Letter From a Farmer in Pennsylvania”. All thirteen American states ratified the Articles by the year 1781. While the Articles formed a representative governing body called The Committee of States, and outlined its authority to declare war, deal with international treaties, address
The statement “from 1781 to 1789 the Articles of Confederation provided the United Sates with an effective government“ is true to some degree because the articles were effective towards some events and ideas but toward others ineffective. The articles linked thirteen colonies together dealing with common problems. It was set up so that congress was to be the chief agency of the government and the judicial branch was left almost exclusively to the states As the articles were made to be weak, a loose model of what a confederation ought to be, they had some very effective outcomes. The articles clearly outlined the general powers that were to be exercised by the central government, such as making treaties and uniting the states in equality. It also showed France and Great Britain that America was beginning to form its own government, which would help achieve respect as a country.
The United States Constitution remedied the weakness of the Articles of Confederation by totally replacing it as the national law of the thirteen states. The Constitution put the ideas of the Articles of Confederation into greater detail by enumerating the rights of the people, the states, and the federal government. As the thirteen colonies were getting closer towards independence during the Revolutionary War, they needed to establish a unified government that would be enforced if the colonies were to win the revolution. In addition to that, the colonies needed a way gain support from France by showing that they were committed to the cause. After ratification of the Declaration of Independence, Continental Congress had a new task of creating a new document that would establish a foundation for a centralized government, enforced in all thirteen states, which would be known as the Articles of Confederation.
Articles of Confederation Vs. The US Constitution The Articles of Confederation The Articles of Confederation were written to give the nation some form of centralized government and leadership, and were written by a committee of the Second Continental Congress headed by John Dickenson. The Articles originally were proposed with a strong central government with control over the west, equal representation for the states, and the power to levy taxes, but because of their experience with Great Britain the States feared a powerful central government. Due to this fear the committee made several changes to the Articles and then they sent them to all the states for ratification in November of 1777. The Continental Congress was careful to give the states as much independence as possible.
This was the vital transitional step from the ad hoc Continental Congress” (Swindler ) This did not come easily, even today concerning decision making in Congress, which makes freedom not dictatorship. Northwest Ordinance- The Northwest Ordinance is a set of rights that makes the laws of the United States and defines the fundamental civil liberties of American citizens. With time each States did what they want it and violate the Northwest Ordinance, but with time all the States abide as we have no slavery in America. Declaration of Independence- The Declaration of Independence is a document that laid out a lot of new ideas about the rights that all people should have. On
Kevin Tattitch RB DBQ on Revolution In the period from 1750 to 1776, conflicts between England and their colonies in North America led to colonists demanding their independence and growing their identity as Americans. By looking at these documents and using prior knowledge of the revolution we can analyze to what extent the colonists developed their sense of identity as Americans. They did this this politically, socially, and constitutionally. Politically, they developed a sense of identity through the Albany Conference, which tried to unite them under one government. Socially they developed an identity by uniting because of hardships of British taxation, and regulation.
A fundamental difference in the ideas of the Americans sprang from their views in regard to National and State rights. Some of them regarded the State as the ultimate unit. Others insisted that the Nation was sovereign. These two conflicting views run through American history down to the Civil War, and even in Washington’s time they existed in outline. Washington himself was a Federalist, believing that the Federation of the former Colonies should be made as compact and strongly knit as possible.
Men of the original thirteen colonies fought in the American Revolutionary War from 1775-1782 to gain independence from the tyranny of Great Britain. Men died for not only their liberty, but our liberty and our children’s liberty. After the victory, the Constitutional Convention was held in Philadelphia to restore order and prevent their biggest fear from ever happening in the future: monarchy. The passion of the Framers is clearly reflected in the Constitution, particularly in Article sI, II, and III where the three branches of the Federal Government are established with the goal of division of power. Beyond that, power was divided with the States as well, but those powers weren’t very clear until the 10th Amendment was adopted, four years after