...Running head: The United States Constitution Name Course Tutor Date Steps that went into the making of the U.S. Constitution Thesis: By 1785, it had become clear that the regime of the Articles of Confederation was making it hard to resolve key issues. * Introduction * The Articles of confederation * Loose and clumsy confederation * Weak central government for a nation of thirteen states * No control over commerce * Conflicting laws regarding navigation and tariffs * Lacked an effective tax system * The Annapolis convention -1786 * Meeting lightly attended, only twelve delegates from five states * Proposal for a convention by all states in Philadelphia later * Convention to revise the articles of confederation * The Philadelphia convention -1787 (Brinkley, 2010) * The writing and adoption of a new Constitution * Abolishment of Articles of Confederation * Delegates from twelve states except Rhode Island * The Virginia Plan- James Madison, May, 1787 * Introduction of the plan * Edmund Randolph, governor for Virginia * Structure of the proposed national government * Separate executive * Separate judicial department * Bicameral legislature * The New Jersey Plan-June, 1787 * An alternative to the Virginia Plan * Retention of the Articles of...
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...reasons the ratification of the Constitution was thought to be performed by our fore fathers. The Constitution was and still is the combination of important laws that governs our Nation. It was very important to our fore fathers that we had these laws in place to make sure we honored the ideas that they fought so hard for and that this nation was built on. Although they did mold the Constitution Pauline Maier tells a different story as to how the Constitution was ratified. In the book Ratification the People Debate the Constitution 1787-1788 Maier argues how the people played an important part in ratifying what we today call our Constitution. She was very successful as she identified how the articles came about and how they were reviewed and became laws once nine of the thirteen states approved the Articles of the Confederation. She had dates and documents as well as sources she referred to as proof of her argument that the people played an important role in deciding what articles would become laws that were combined to serve as our ratified Constitution. Although the Constitution is a collection of laws that govern our nation it took a while and consideration of people from all thirteen states to make this document official. This debate began in on September the 19th in 1787 when a newspaper printed the Constitution that our fore fathers created and started a debate that lasted several years. This anonymous journalist questioned the Constitution and led to the discussion of...
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...Executive Power and the Constitution Michael Gray HIS 303: The American Constitution Professor Ginger Jarvis November 29, 2012 Executive Power and the Constitution “The Constitution has never greatly bothered any wartime president,” wrote Francis Biddle, Attorney General during World War II, in his memoirs (Smith, 1999, pg.24). Biddle’s comment was in reflection on President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s decision to relocate Japanese-Americans. An examination of American history reveals the Constitution does not appear to bother president during periods of national survival. In fact, Presidents seize crisis in domestic and foreign affairs as the opportunity to expand executive power. This paper provides a brief history on powers in the Constitution, examines use of executive power in domestic and foreign affairs, and concludes with an argument on how the issue should be interpreted. Framers of the Constitution believed separation of powers and a system of checks and balances would keep one branch of government from having more power then the others. Noah Feldman (2006) writes “nothing is more basic to the operation of a constitutional government than the way it allocates power” (Our Presidential Era, para.2). Constitutional Framers created three separate branches of government independent of each other. According to Cornell University Law School (2012), the first three articles of the “Constitution outlines the branches of the U.S. Government...
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...uprisings characterize this period, which started with the framing of Articles in 1777 and ended with the final adoption of the United States constitution in 1787. STATES’ ARGUMENTS AGAINST A CENTRAL GOVERNMENT American leaders faced much opposition from the states after the American Revolution as a result of deciding to form a central government. The states feared that such a government would suppress them and would interfere with their internal affairs. Consequently, heated debates and uprisings characterize this period, which started with the framing of Articles in 1777 and ended with the final adoption of the United States constitution in 1787. The American Revolution holds a very prominent place in the history of this country, as it was the longest and the most painful war Americans ever encountered. It took many years and numerous conflicts to finally gain independence in 1776 from British domination, which had been subjugating its colonies with laws of an unwritten constitution. It must be understood that though Americans were fighting for the right of democracy and each state wanted self-government, later that same issue turned into a big problem. Soon after America became independent, the former British colonies decided to form their own governments. It was then that the real battle began. The task of forming separate constitutions for each state, along with the formation of governmental institutions, turned in to a huge task -- a task so gigantic that it forced some...
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...Confederation and Constitution United States History Professor: 9/30/12 The Articles of Confederation were a great start to shaping and unifying our country, but it was just that, a “start”. It needed to take the country as a whole into consideration in order for it to hold this unity in place. The Articles of Confederation led to the Constitution of the United States. Although similar in some aspects, very different in others. The articles had many weaknesses that were changed in the Constitution. There were many compromises made between the states in order to effectively draft the Constitution. Roger Sherman’s Plan kept the Constitutional Convention together which was later known as the Great Compromise. The fight for the Constitution had just begun and the ratification processes needed to take place. Even with some states being in favor of the Constitution it would take time to get the nine states needed to complete this process. The states in favor would called themselves The Federalist and those opposed were called the Anti-Federalist. The Federalist set out to change the mind of the remaining states with a series of letters that were written to newspapers. The Articles of Confederation were used as a base for the Constitution. The ideas from the Articles of Confederation were used in the writing of the Constitution. Both the Articles and the Constitution established “federal” systems of multiple sovereigns whose continued existence was constitutionally...
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...The U.S. Constitution: The First of Its Kind I still remember being in an eighth grade U.S. History class back in my junior high years. One distinct memory of that course, perhaps the most memorable of all the projects we had, came in the first month of the school year, in the curriculum’s first unit: the founding of the United States as its own nation. As the textbook timeline approached 1787 we prepared ourselves for a daunting task: memorize and recite the Preamble of the U.S. Constitution. We as students would wait anxiously as, one by one, each of our peers would step up to the front of the classroom and begin to recite from memory. Few people could recite the Preamble smoothly, but for those who stumbled, we all seemed to remember perfectly the first and last chunks: “We the People of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union…” and “…do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.” To us back in eighth grade, that missing middle section was just a group of words to be more-or-less forgotten the next day. To our forefathers, however, that middle section was vital in creating the basis for the supreme law of the United States. Much like my peers and I in the eighth grade, our forefathers who assembled 226 years ago were faced with a daunting task for the state that they were in. At this point in our history, America was a newborn in the world, only eleven years of age. Now left without the common cause that the Revolutionary War...
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...Constitution Timeline Tammie Johnson Grand Canyon University: POS 301 June 12, 2013 Constitution Timeline There have been many great event and documents that have made a significant impact on the evolution of the United States Constitution; such as the Magna Carta, the Mayflower Compact, Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation, and the Federalist Papers (1787-1788). Each of these events/ documents has changed the way the American people view the government and their responsibilities. The Magna Carta of 1215 is a document that forced the hand of King John of England and reduced the king’s power over the people who lived in England so that they could form a parliament to set the basis for the rights of English citizens. The objective behind this document was to help the people to rein in the king while trying to persuade him to regulate by the long-standing English laws that were in place before the Normans came to the country. The document consisted of thirty-seven English laws that were used to demonstrate to the people of England that the dominance of King John of England could be restricted when put in a written grant. This document played a key role in the history of England because it marked the beginning of a constitutional government in that country (Alchin, 2012). The Mayflower Compact of 1620 was drafted as an agreement among a group of settlers a board the Mayflower in November of 1620 in an effort to set forth fair and equal laws that would...
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...The Philadelphia Convention 1787 The Philadelphia Convention, congregated in May 1787, ending on September 17 with the signing of the Constitution, generated a powerful national government with broad powers of taxation, military defense, and authority to make laws. The first Constitution of the United States of America laid down by the Philadelphia Convention was to become the supreme law of the land. After the Revolutionary War, the country was confronted with debts, taxes, tariffs, military weakness and slavery issues. The Government was limited in its capacity to handle debts and expenses: no authority to tax the states and the people and no means to raise money in order to repay the war debts. A revision of the Articles of Confederation was required. Hence a Constitutional Convention was called in Philadelphia in May 1787 and continued through the hot Philadelphia summer for sixteen weeks until September, for the sole purpose of revising the Articles of Confederation. Fifty-five delegates representing 13 states gathered, while Rhode Island refused to send a delegate. The delegates debated in secrecy, behind closed windows and curtains, slowly working out their disagreement by debating how much power should be given to the national government and how should this power be allocated. Rather than revising the Articles of Confederation, they devised a scheme for a powerful national government. Several plans were presented, but two of them stood out. James Madison introduced...
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...| Historical Essay: | Confederation and Constitution | | Jason Sherman | | | The Articles of Confederation, the first constitution of the United States, was adopted by the Continental Congress on November 15, 1777. However, sanction of the Articles of Confederation by all thirteen states did not occur until March 1, 1781. The Articles created a loose confederation of sovereign states and a weak central government, which resulted in most of the power residing with the state governments. The need for a stronger Federal government soon became apparent and eventually led to the Constitutional Convention in 1787. The present United States Constitution replaced the Articles of Confederation on March 4, 1789 (Researchers, 2013). Some weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation that ultimately resulted in failure were the fact that each state only had one vote in Congress, regardless of size, Congress did not have the power to tax, Congress did not have the power to regulate foreign and interstate commerce, there was no executive branch to enforce any acts passed by Congress, there was no nation court system, Amendments to the Articles of Confederation required a unanimous vote, and laws required a 9/13 majority to pass in Congress. Under the Articles of Confederation, states often argued amongst themselves. They also refused to financially support the national government, who was also powerless to enforce any acts it did pass. Some states began making agreements...
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...Historical Essay #1: Confederation and Constitution Anthony Snow DeVry University 08/01/2015 HISTORICAL ESSAY #1: CONFEDERATION AND CONSTITUTION As with anything in this world there are always strengths and weaknesses when people are comparing two different items, as no one item can be a perfect solution; there are always compromises. The same happens when we are comparing the Articles of Confederation and the New Constitution of 1787. Both of theses two solutions each have their own strengths and weaknesses. First we have the Articles of Confederation that when written gave each state a lot of individual powers, and because of this was one of the main reasons for the New Constitution, and I want to show how these two solutions are different, and how the New Constitution uses some of the same concepts that make up the Articles of Constitution. I would first like to take a look at the Articles of Confederation, and explore some of the strengths and weaknesses that came as a result of adopting it. The Continental Congress adopted the Articles of Confederation on November 15, 1777. One of the main weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation was that although it was able to produce a confederation of sovereign states, it was also responsible for weakening the central government, as the Articles of Confederation gave almost all of the power to the individual state governments. With the individual state gaining more power, the national government found it extremely difficult...
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...only was the Declaration of Independence created, but in 1787 the Constitution was signed declaring the fundamental laws of the national government as well as the basic rights for citizens of the country. Nonetheless, these formal statements regarding the colonies’ intentions would not eventuate later on in the future. In its place, America would encounter a time period facing injustices and racial inequality. The 1800s was a time when African Americans were deprived of...
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...The Confederation and the Constitution | | | | | Shortly after Thomas Jefferson penned the Declaration of Independence in 1776, the delegates at the Second Continental Congress agreed that a new government was necessary to govern the now-independent colonies. After much debate, they drafted and adopted the Articles of Confederation in 1777. Although the Articles were not officially ratified until 1781, they served as the actual constitution until that time. Under the authority of the Articles, the states created a national Congress comprised of annually elected delegates from all thirteen states. Each state had one vote in Congress, and, in most cases, decisions were made based on majority rule. The National Congress’ powers over the states were specific and definite: 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 West. The delegates also granted Congress the power to resolve interstate disputes, grant loans, print money, and operate a national postal system. Eventually, Congress was also authorized to govern western territories until they achieved statehood. All powers not granted to Congress were reserved for state governments. Congress had no power to levy taxes. For example, it could only request that the individual states raise revenue to cover their share of national expenses. Furthermore, any amendments made to the Articles...
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...U.S. & World History GKT 1 By: Katherine L. Ventura November 24, 2014 Geography and the Development/Diffusion of Human Society This theme talks about how geographical features had contributed to the grow of human society. The Sacramento River which is located in the state of sunny California is one example of a geographical factor that started one of the development of human society. The Sacramento River is one example of a geographical factor that contributed to the development of human society. This river provided fertile soil, abundant flow of water and fish. The Sacramento River is the primary and biggest river in California. It flows about over 450 miles until it connects with the San Francisco Bay and the San Joaquin River Delta. The Sacramento River is now used greatly for irrigation, and provides a large portion of Central and Southern California areas. This is with the help of state and federal water projects. http://www.dfg.ca.gov The Sacramento River Not only was the Sacramento River the largest river in California, it also served as an important part in the development in human Society. Native American Indians were some of the first settlers on the Sacramento River 12,000 years ago. A number of Native American grew and established their tribes as the years went by. This river was used for trade and travel. Some of the tribal communities that settled were the Shasta, Modoc, and Achomawi that lived in the volcanic plateaus in the north side. Next...
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...Should There be Another Constitutional Convention? The Articles of Confederation was he first federal “constitution” to be upheld in the thirteen colonies. Unfortunately, under the Articles, Congress was given no power over the states so that the country could grow into an actual functioning society, though there were certain things that they did have control over, such as create war and peace time, conduct foreign affairs and etc. But under the Articles, “But Congress could not collect taxes and enforce laws directly; it had to rely on the states to provide money and enforce its laws. . .”(Dye 61). Essentially, the states did what they felt was right beneath their own respective state level government. “No respect is paid to the federal authority. Not a single state complies with the requisitions[submitted by Congress]” (Nardo 18). The Founding Fathers were disturbed by the utter discord the nation seemed to be in. Deciding that enough was enough in May of 1797, twelve of the thirteen colonies delegates, 55 delegates, gathered together in the State House of Philadelphia to, originally, fix and tweak the bugs out of the Articles of Confederation. But instead of fixing the Articles, James Madison decided that it would be better to scrap the whole document and create a whole new federal constitution. James Madison was intent on drafting a new constitution that would create a stronger, central government: The Virginia Plan. “. . . he by no means wanted that government to be so...
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...original United States Constitution was ratified in 1787. However the current document by which all laws are governed was confirmed and made into law on September 17th of 1789. This document enabled the people some control over government, which was created not only for them by also by the said people. The Founding Fathers wrote the Constitution in a manner, that the text could evolve and mature just as the persons for which it was written. This paper will detail how and why amendments become a part of the constitution, problems which have arisen due to the original document motivating the adoption of the Bill of Rights and their effects. Further listing other issues arising, due to changes in society which have led to amendments thirteen, fourteen, and fifteen, and their affects (University of Phoenix, 2010). Amendments In Article V of the Constitution an amendment process was adopted to ensure that as changes in society occur, so should the document by which all inalienable rights and freedoms are explained in depth. The aforementioned article stipulates the ways in which the Constitution may be amended. The first is by a two-thirds vote from both the House and Representatives and the Senate and 38 of the 50 states must ratify the proposed amendment, which has been the only manner in which all additional amendments have been achieved. The second and last option is to hold a Convention for the sole purpose of amending the Constitution, where at a minimum two-thirds...
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