Essays on Articles of Confederation

The United States of America have gone a fairly long way of establishment. Starting as a number of colonies, and ending up as one of the most powerful countries in the contemporary world, the U.S. has proved that nothing is impossible, and that mistakes can only lead to the better future. One of the greatest examples for this statement would be the existence of the Articles of Confederation, with all their vices, because it were the wrongs in this document that made it possible for the Constitution to be written. The present paper is meant to dwell upon the ...

Question 1 Response: Creating a new Constitution was vital to the unity of the United States of America since the Articles of Confederation weren’t sufficient for good government. If there was any evidence of this, it was that the United States was clearly bankrupt and now needed to be organized in such a manner that both the States and the Federal government had to share power in such a manner that everyone’s interests were kept in mind. A centralized approach was key to putting the country back on track. Hence, a meeting was held in the Pennsylvania ...

Federalism in the United States has evolved over the past 200 years from an arrangement where state and national government powers and responsibilities were clearly distinct and separate, to one in which the line of distinction between the two has blurred. When the framers drafted the Constitution, they provided separate powers to the federal government in Article One. A few of these clauses extended the power of the national government in order to prevent the hazards faced by the Articles of Confederation. In order to ensure that limitations still existed on the federal government, the Tenth Amendment was included. ...

The following primary documents include two antifederalist essays and three federalist essays that were published in newspapers three to six months following the Constitutional Convention. The antifederalists aimed to convince the states that the new constitution would not work while the federalists hoped to gain support and ratification of the new constitution. In 1787 and 1788, when the essays were written, the new country was struggling. The Articles of Confederation were not sufficient, and the fears that resulted in the Revolutionary War were still very fresh in the minds of everyone.

SUMMARY OF THE ESSAYS

THE ANTIFEDERALIST NO. 18-20 WHAT DOES HISTORY TEACH? ( ...

The United States had two constitutions to regulate and establish the rights and state orders. Articles of Confederation came into force in 1781, when Maryland ratified it and it was the first Constitution of the United States (Fritz C. G., 2008, p.131). The Constitution came to replace the Articles of Confederation when it was ratified by New Hampshire in 1788. These two documents have much in common. However, there are quite significant differences between them. By comparing them it is possible to see what the drafters considered important in 1781, and that they changed their minds in 1788. Articles ...

Factors that led to the writing of the United States Constitution and the ideas behind the design

The needs to establish a national government and guard the fundamental rights of citizens are the factors that led to the writing of the constitution. Previously, the United States governing document was the Articles of Confederation that made the national government weak since states operated like independent countries (Archives). With the new constitutions, therefore, plans were in place to make the federal government stronger by having three branches including the executive, legislative and the judicial (Archives). Also, the design of the three branches was that no single branch would have much power since there were systems of checks and ...

The Articles of Confederation was an attempt to prevent a central government from wielding too much power. When ratified in 1781, there was as central government and 13 states. But despite noble intentions, the attempt to create a limited government in the Articles of Confederation failed because the central government could not raise funds from the states, could not effectively keep the peace and could not pass amendments unless all of the states agreed. Schmidt, Shelley, Bardes and Ford (2014) say in their book that the Articles did not give Congress the power to levy taxes in order to ...

At the foundations of the American Revolutionary War, of between 1775 and 1783, were calls for independence among the Patriots residing in Britain’s Thirteen Colonies in North America. The Americans emerged victoriously and as a result, the English Monarch lost its claims over the vast territories. Now, the understanding of freedom in the thirteen regions revolved around the eradication of tyranny to pave the way for democracy and for that reason alone, the United States abhorred monarchies and promoted a government based on a democratic system. To that end, it is no wonder that concerns over the central ...

Affiliated Institution

The purpose of this essay is to discuss the features of the American electoral system features; how does it allow stability and change to occur simultaneously? How does it allow the participation for most of the citizens and it may also serve to filter the citizens` input? First of all, the fifteenth amendment to the United States Constitution states clearly that the right to vote is not to be “denied or abridged on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude” (US constitution, 1870). The term servitude may be a little vague, yet it was initially used to ...

American Revolutionary War is the revolution, which aimed at gaining the US independence because of the growing conflict between some American colonies and the British Crown. Though initially being a revolution, it soon developed into the international war, as France got involved in it in 1775 ("American Revolution History - American Revolution - HISTORY.com", 2009, n.p.). So, what were the causes and consequences of the American Revolutionary War? What role did French and Indian War play? What was the effect of taxation? Let us consider these and some other aspects of American Revolutionary War in detail.

Causes and Consequences

Until the beginning ...

Describe the different courses of the Revolutionary War in New England, the middle colonies, and the South. What role did the battles in each region play in the eventual American victory? The American Revolutionary War was characterized by three phases being the New England phase, the middle colonies phase, and the Southern phase, which took place between 1775 and 1783 (Grossberg & Tomlins, 2008). New England colonies consisted of 13 colonies, which included Rhode Island colonies, Massachusetts, Providence Plantation, and New Hampshire among others. France attempted on several occasions to colonize New England but failed. New England, mainly carried out ...

The Articles of Confederation became the first official constitution of the USA. The document functioned from the 1781 to 1789 when the existing Constitution was ratified. The last document created stronger centralized government and marked the start of the separation of Democrats and Republicans. Moderate Republicanism became the main political system of the USA in the 19th century. Members of this movement agreed with Lincoln’s ideas about the restoration of the Union with seceded states, but on Congress plans. Moderate republicans could be called a “light version” of ordinary or radical Republicans. I think the Moderate Republicanism (or ...

Compose a complete 20-question citizenship exam as if you worked for the Bureau of Naturalization in 1918. In other words, for the purposes of the first part of this project, pretend that you are a native-born white male Protestant middle-class bureaucrat in 1918 who has the power to decide if an immigrant applicant has Americanized sufficiently to become a U.S. citizen. Your exam must capture the cultural values and core knowledge presented in Student’s Textbook (1918). Some but not all of your questions must concern history (i.e., the version of U.S. history presented in the 1918 textbook).

Citizenship Exam

Who ...

When Britain’s' thirteen colonies in North America took up arms against the mother country, the prospects of an independent nation demanded a new government for the free people. Notably, there was pressure to ensure that the new laws were democratic as opposed to the Monarchical rule exerted by the British on the colonists. Hence, in 1777, the Founding Fathers attempted a government based on the autonomy of the individual States by proposing the Articles of Confederation at the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia. The Articles came into effect in 1781when the States ratified them but by 1789, the ...

The constitution emerged to create a structured society through the creation of a stable system of government and protection of individuals’ powers. It creates three branches of government with different responsibilities and mandates that complement each other in achieving the government objectives. The legislature has a responsibility of making laws, the executive implements the laws, while the judiciary undertakes their interpretation (Cox, 1987, p.42). The Constitution regulates the powers of these branches so that none is superior to the other, but rather work in harmony. It also outlines the powers of the federal government such as printing money, controlling ...

At early stages of the American Revolution, when the belief that the United States will continue to exist as an association of 13 sovereign political societies dominated, the Democrats gave priority to the constitutions of state. During the war for independence in a bitter struggle between opponents and supporters of states' rights, victory was on the side of decentralization supporters: a contractual agreement between the 13 provinces, known as the "Articles of Confederation", in 1781, consolidated the sovereignty of the states in all important areas of economic, social and political life (Jensen 15). “Articles of Confederation” was US very ...

When the American Revolutionary War began, the then thirteen North America colonies of the British Empire were in need of a different government that would replace that of the Monarch. The Founding Father’s first try in attempting to establish the territories’ self-governance produced the Articles of Confederation proposed to the Second Continental Congress in the year 1777 at Philadelphia. The States ratified the Articles and in 1781, the new laws were active. Still, by 1789, the United States Constitution was already in place as a replacement to the Articles and for that reason alone, it was evident that ...

The U.S. Articles of Confederation and Constitution

Articles of Confederation versus the Constitution of 1787 The 2nd article defines the sovereignty of the state which is fundamental to the new nation’s existence. At first glance, this may seem to go against the spirit of confederation but it actually stabilizes it by reiterating the foundation of the freedom of self-rule which was the basis of the revolution. While it accedes to aspects of federal rule that have been duly and clearly agreed among the states, the article establishes the natural state of the state to be free to conduct ...

The main sources on the formation of American statehood are the Declaration of Independence, "Articles of Confederation", the US Constitution of 1787, and the Bill of Rights. Also, referring to the origins of the formation of the statehood, the Mayflower Compact is surely an important document. The British political heritage has had a tremendous influence on the formation of the state system of America. English settlers brought with them the political ideas that developed in England for centuries. English Bill of Rights of 1689 was very important for the American colonists – it differentiated the rights and obligations of the ...

The Constitutional Convention, also referred to as the Grand or Federalist Convention, that took place in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania from May to September 1787 is touted as one of the most memorable, monumental and important events in the United States history after gaining independence from Britain. This is mainly because it revised and updated the initial Articles of Confederation, which formed the precursor to the modern liberal and lofty Constitution of the United States of America. The major aim of the Convention was to revise the Articles of Confederation and to create a new strong form, structure of system of ...

Introduction

The United States has been governed under two constitutions, the Articles of Confederation and the Constitution in use today. The Articles of Confederation were the original written constitution. It started being operational from the time when Maryland State ratified it, to be precise, on March 1, 1781, and lasted up to when the present Constitution replaced it. It created the initial administrative structure bringing together the thirteen states, which had participated in the American Revolutionary War. Ideally, this constitution comprised the terms by which these thirteen states agreed to join a federal form of government. It is vital to ...

Under the Constitution, the legislative branch checks the power of the executive branch in four fundamental ways: advise and consent relative to presidential nominations; control of the federal budget (U.S. Const. art. I § 7-8); the ability to pass legislation and override the President’s veto (U.S. Const. art. I § 7); and power to remove the President from office through impeachment proceedings (U.S. Const. art. I § 3). In the case of the judicial branch, the Constitution allows the court to determine the constitutionality of the executive branch’s actions. (U.S. Const. art. III § 2).

How does the doctrine of stare decisis contribute to the interpretation of common law?

Consistent with the common law tradition, ...

The United States of America officially gained its independence in 1776. The new country needed to create own governing system. It was a difficult decision, because former colonies wanted to have the central government, but did not want to loose their sovereignty. These contradictions became a basis for the Articles of Confederation, which preceded the American Constitution of 1787. It restored main weaknesses of the Articles, but there were many arguments before all states accepted the new document. Constitution’s content stimulated the creation of political parties.

Strengths and Weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation

The Articles of Confederation were created with the great support of Whigs. ...

Many historians acknowledge the Declaration of Independence as the starting point of the American statehood and one of the most prominent democratic instruments of the United States. A large part of the Declaration takes account of all kinds of accusations against the parliament and the monarchy of England that brought tyranny to the land and undermined the economic interests of the colonists. The true value of the document lies in its social philosophy that “defined three inalienable rights (Ginsberg, et. al. 2014: 18)”: “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” (Declaration of Independence, US 1776, par. 2) The ...

Abstract

The United States was forming a system of government that had never been tried in a nation so large. The many Articles of Confederation and the Constitution represent the countries attempt to form a system of government true to ideas of the American Revolution. Although the Articles of Confederation had serious flaws that ultimately led to its doom, it was still an attempt to put in place the ideas of the American Revolution. The Constitution, from and ideological standpoint, was not entirely different. Many of the federal powers granted in the Articles of Confederation were the same powers granted in ...

The Virginia plan was drafted on May 29, 1789 as a proposal for the government structure by Virginia delegate Edmund Randolph. The plan was written by James Madson, which traced broadly, what later came to be the United States constitution. On the other hand, The New Jersey Plan was a proposal created by the New Jersey delegate William Peterson that suggested a system of election of the executives and a national legislature. The rational in the New Jersey plan was to establish an unbiased system of selection of state representatives to a centralized legislature.

The Virginia Plan proposed creation of a Federal system of ...

The experiment in national government under the Articles of Confederation proved to be a failure. The Articles of Confederation served as the 1st constitution for the country. The Articles of Confederation had crucial flaws such as a weak executive, no control over national taxation and no power over trade. The government had no power to compel people to perform national obligations as they were carried out in individual states (Declaration of Independence, 65). Under the Articles of Confederation, each state still retained its full “sovereignty, freedom and independence” (Political, 33). The Founders saw it wise to call for a constitutional convention ...

After a hard fought war of the American Revolution in 1781, thirteen states felt the need to unify their apparent energies into the first American government. The states came together under the establishment of the articles of confederation, which became effective for a short period. According to Jensen (1959), the confederation lasted March 1781 to March 1789. The demise of the articles saw the emergence of the American constitution. Several problems emerged in the articles of confederation.

Firstly, as Woods (1969) observes, each state was entitled to only one Congress vote (p. 355). This seems fair except that it did not ...

The Declaration of Independence, Articles of Confederation and the Constitution

INTRODUCTION When studying and researching American history it is essential that one review the documents that essentially founded the nation and has allowed the country to survive and flourish. These three documents are, of course, the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation and the Constitution. Each of these documents represents the stages of organization that has led, for better or worse, to the American that exists today. They represent an evolution of a new life; devised to be a free-nation that is based on the wants of the people, especially when the people call for new change. Most people ...

In 1777, the colonies adopted the Articles of Confederation – a document that served as the first constitution of the United States (Ginsberg et al 34). The adoption of such a constitution was important to the colonies, which included New Hampshire, Massachusetts Bay, Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia, to hold them together as one nation-state. The Articles is divided into 13 articles, including a provision that described the relationship of the states as a “league of friendship” (Article III, Articles of Confederation). The implication of such wording is that ...

Virginia and New Jersey Plans

Virginia Plan

The Virginia Plan recommended a National Legislature consisting two branches. That the members to constitute the first branch be elected by the people for a term of three years, that those members be disqualified from taking up other state offices or any offices under the authority of the United States that were not related to their legislative functions and the ban be extended to one year after the expiry of their legislative term. The second legislative branch be chosen by individual legislatures, occupants be of the age of 30 years and above, and serve in their legislative capacities for a ...

The American revolutionary war officially came to an end in 1783 after Paris Treaty, and there was a growing discontentment and frustration with the articles of confederation. There was a growing desire for reforms to replace the confederation, which was expressed by General George Washington in writing after the end of the revolutionary war. Even after the war, there was an observation of growing disillusionment, characterized by an intense political environment in the 1780’s. During the period under the rule of the articles of confederation, the founders of the nation were undermined in their creation (Behn, 2014). The period was ...

The history of the formation and development of the American federalism is interesting because, in spite of all its specific features, it largely reflects the general trends that are inherent in any federal state. Such, for example, as a struggle between the center and the subjects of the federation for the rights and powers, as the trend towards centralization of power, and so on. In other words, it indicates the urgency of the problem of the relationship between the central government and form part of any complex public education. In 1775 the thirteen American colonies of England raised a rebellion ...

It was just before 1500 that the Europeans discovered the New World or the American continent conquering and dwelling in new lands. It is these settlements that led to the transformation of the physical and cultural landscape of America (Vile 78). The main entrants into America were the Spanish, Portuguese, French, English and Danish. These European powers divided America amongst themselves, displacing the native red Indians as they settled in various areas. The colonization led rise to new civilizations, cultures and later on states that translated to the merging of the European traditions and Native American institutions and people. ...

In 1777, in the midst of the War of Independence, the Second Continental Congress adopted the Articles of Confederation, a document of a constitutional nature, which defined the United States as a confederation and fixed the powers of the central bodies. However, the document made a central government very weak, as well as giving a veto to each state. George Washington figuratively called the Articles of Confederation as 'ropes of sand'. Therefore, quickly began to emerge proposals to amend the Articles. The process of the ratification of the Constitution of the United States began September 17, 1787 In his closing speech to the ...

Many pundits and historians perceive the years to 1781- as the most vital period in the American’s history. The period saw the formation of American states after successful rebellion against the British colonial rule. These free colonies for effective governance had to form frameworks that would see to it stability and development prevailed. The Articles of Confederation was the ultimate basis for the creation of proper governance systems. This primary constitution had been ratified by all free states in 1781 even before the ceasing of the Revolutionary war (Smith &Ronald 671). These laws however deemed short in meeting ...

The period between 1777 through to 1791 proved significant to the US history owing to the various constitutional changes that shaped the constitution to be what it is today. The meetings and discussions of the Continental Congress realized the need to created written rules. The result was the Articles of Confederation that was drafted and passed by the Continental Congress on 11th November, 1777. The Article of Confederation created the functions of the national government (US Department of State - Office of the Historian). However, the article created a weak central government that prevented most individual states from exercising their ...

Compare and contrast the Virginia and New Jersey plans

Virginia delegates who agitated for a bicameral legislative came with the idea of the Virginia plan. James madison conscripted the plan at the moment he was waiting for the quorum to gather at the constitutional agreement of 1787. Virginia plan was known for setting the itinerary of the debate during the concord and more so for setting the idea of populace weighted depiction in the suggested national assembly. Virginia governor, Edmund Randolph officially presented the plan on 29th may after it was drafted. The plan was presented into categories of 15 resolutions. William Peterson made the proposal of the New ...

The Constitutional Convention was one of the major political events in the history of the United States of America. It took place in Philadelphia from May 23 to September 17 of 1787 where delegates met to brainstorm on the weak links in the central government that were present under the Articles of Confederation. The remarkable Convention is largely known to have been the brainchild of the present US Constitution, a constitution that has made USA the most admired and stable democracies globally. The delegates met to amend the Articles of Confederation that presented a wide variety of challenges to the federal ...

Introduction

The American Revolution served as the start towards the search for self-governing and independence in America. The war between the French and Indians marked the rise of the English colonists who moved to occupy productive territories in North America. The consequences of the war include loss of French and Spanish supremacy in North America and the rise of colonists from England. The enlightenment, which resulted from the war and constitutional arguments, enabled individuals to develop ideas regarding freedom and independence.

Consequences of the French and Indian war

The French and Indian wars were prompted by the prosperous growth of the British and French who had identified ...

History

The Articles of Confederation were ratified in 1781 although the first draft had been written by Benjamin Franklin during the Revolutionary War. The Articles organized the colonies into a weak confederation of more-or-less independent states (Sturgis, 2002). The United States of America became a new nation but unfortunately in the mid-1780s an economic depression forced a serious challenge for the national government to find solutions to the economic problems. The Articles of Confederation did not include taxation power or any other power that would provide income for the national government. The meaning of an American democracy became a debating point particularly on the ...

The United States constitution is considered as one of the most crucial historical documents ever drafted in the history of the nation. The constitution was written after the gaining of independence by the American nation from the British colonialists. The main purpose of this important document was to set forth the laws and regulations that would govern the newly independent country. The constitution established the national government’s form and structure and defined the liberties and rights of all American citizens. The constitution was also to serve the purpose of listing the government’s aims and objectives as well ...

Introduction to American Government: Chapter One

I am interested with chapter one on the United States constitution because its offers a thorough analysis on the content of the America constitution. The chapter analyses the importance of the constitution in American development. Some of the key milestones in the making of the constitution are also clearly described in the chapter. The chapter also takes note of the importance of the constitution in enhancing unity and development in the country. In addition to this, the constitution explains the role and contribution of all the parties in the country’s social and political progress. The analysis of the chapter ...

Book Review: Shay's Rebellion by Leonard Richards

It is evident that many experts have been insisting that most of the history books have long maintained that Shay's Rebellion (1786-1787) the Massachusetts insurgence that caused George Washington to come out of retirement and eventually sped the ratification and the revision of the U.S Constitution was a revolt of poor, obligated farmers. However, University of Massachusetts Amherst history lecturer Leonard L. Richards has a different take on it. In his Shay's Rebellion: The American Revolution's Final Battle, Richards examines the individualities of the rebels and contends that they were normally not underprivileged by the least, and that scholars have misinterpreted ...

Compare how 2 different authors used the same historical data and the same events in 2 different ways. Describe how accurate each of these author’s works were to the real event and what they had changed.

Introduction:

Both David McCullogh’s ‘John Adams’ and Sherman Edwards Petersburg’s 1776 are works of art which deal with the Founding Fathers and the American War for Independence. Whilst the former is a biography in the grand manner (as we are used to by McCullogh, the latter is a musical which revives the spirit of that important year and is full of interesting and ...

Article of Confederation

Abstract After the outbreak of revolutionary war in the seventeenth century, the former United States wanted to have its own government to replace the British government. The article of confederation was quickly drafted and acted as the first constitution to the people of America. That particular constitution had so many limitations and controversial provisions that the Americans were opposed to. Among the controversies was that the congress was not allowed to pass laws before getting the approval of the congress. This was because of the fact that a big majority of the thirteen states had to pass a vote of ...

US Constitution makers imagined a constitution that protects the rights of its citizens. Constitutions should protect the rights of citizens but some provisions should also be made to deal with ay untoward situation and in order to maintain law and order in the society. Constitutions of almost every country give some rights to governments in order to deal with unrests that take place in society due to several reasons. Such powers are known as coercive powers. This paper intends to discuss coercive powers with a special perspective to examine its relevance in United States of America along with discussing several ...

- Topic: To present the arguments both in favor of and in opposition of the ratification of the Constitution. - Get audience’s attention: Devising the system of ratification had become necessary because sending it directly to the state legislatures would result in its rejection. - Thesis statement: Though the process of ratification improved the chances of that the Constitution would be accepted, the Anti-federalist resistance posed a challenge to this. II. Main Idea #1: Arguments against. A. Anti-federalists opposed the ratification of the constitution because they did not trust centralized government. B. The Constitution ...

The Articles of Confederation were indeed important instruments since they created a basis to form a government which included checks and balances, something which was very advanced for the time and notably absent in other countries. The innovative approach included a three tier government which gave certain independence to the states but at the same time, the system of President, House of Representatives and Senate was radically innovative since it allowed neither branch of the Executive or Legislative gain control. This is dealt with in the section in Chapter 18 of Perspectives of the Past particularly in the section on Thomas Jefferson’ ...

The Articles of Confederation were indeed important instruments since they created a basis to form a government which included checks and balances, something which was very advanced for the time and notably absent in other countries. The innovative approach included a three tier government which gave certain independence to the states but at the same time, the system of President, House of Representatives and Senate was radically innovative since it allowed neither branch of the Executive or Legislative gain control. In a sense this all started with the Constitutional Convention which took place in Philadelphia and which laid the groundwork for a written ...

Writing assignment

The Virginia and New Jersey are similar in terms of the number of branches of government. Both plans propose three branches namely: the Legislature, the Executive, and the Judiciary. In both plans, the Legislature is supreme, though the extent differs. The plans however differ in terms of the number of houses. The Virginia plan proposes two houses, whereas the New Jersey plan favours one house. In relation to the membership to the houses, the Virginia plan proposes that members of the first house should be elected by citizens in the respective states, and serve for three years. Members ...

The constitution of the United States is the fundamental law of the U.S.A that provides guidelines for government. The constitution provides a set of principles through statutes and laws that anchor the government of the day in constitutionality. The constitution was drafted in Philadelphia from May to September 1787 making it the oldest constitution in the world. The Constitutional Convention that took place in Pennsylvania Philadelphia began on 25 May and ended four months later on 17 September 1987. The convention was initially intended to address the problems of governance of the USA under the Articles of Confederation, which ...

The Philadelphia Convention 1787

Customer Inserts Tutor’s Name (29, 09, 2013) The United States came into existence when thirteen countries on the Atlantic coast jointly rebelled against the colonialism policy of an empire where sun used not to set. The British had to face strong aggression from North American colonies against the promulgation of various acts and political and economic expansion on the American hemisphere. The independence was declared on July 4, 1776 and prominent personalities among the founding fathers George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, Thomas Jefferson and James Madison took charge of the new born confederation of United States of America. ...

<instructor’s name> <date submitted> - The Federal Power to Tax The federal power to tax is outlined clearly in The Taxing and Spending Clause - Article 1, section 8, clause 1: “The Congress shall have power to lay and collect taxes, duties, imposts and excises, to pay the debts and provide for the common defense and general welfare of the United States; but all duties, imposts and excises shall be uniform throughout the United States” (I.8.i). In essence, in order to pay for needed services and infrastructure provided by the federal government, the ...

The current federal system that exists in the United States was not the original design of government when the United States broke free from England. The Article of Confederation, and not the current constitution was the original document designed to govern the country. This essay explains its shortcomings and how it led to the development and formation of the government, as it exists today. The Articles of Confederation were in place between March 1, 1781 and l March 4, 1789. A confederation is defined by the Oxford dictionary as “an organization that consists of a number of parties or ...

The United States was in a crucial state after the Revolutionary war. The peace agreement ensured that there was calmness in the country and other developments could take place. There was a need to come up with a comprehensive power structure that will cater for the various needs of the young nation. Slavery, citizen rights and foreign policy were among the many pressing issues. Additionally, a stand-off between the northern and southern states required that a compromise be reached upon promptly. In this regard, the law makers decided to draft the Constitution in 1787 to harmonize things. The process faced a number of challenges that ...

The United States is often referred to as a “democracy,” but this is not a strictly true statement. In reality, the United States is a democratic republic that operates under federalist principles; though these two ideas may seem to be the same, in reality they are quite different. In a democracy, every individual has a vote on every issue, but in a democratic republic, individuals vote on representatives who then vote on the issues in their stead (Sutton 18). Because America is a compilation of states that make up one unified government, it can be referred to as a federalist nation (“Separation of Powers and Checks and ...

"H.W. Brands, Miracle at Philadelphia" Summary H.W. Brands’ essay “Miracle at Philadelphia” is a narrative account of the Constitutional Convention that took place in Philadelphia in 1787 at the Pennsylvania State House. The essay contains names of the prominent delegates, including Alexander Hamilton, Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, and James Madison, who attended the convention. Initially, “[t]he Convention was to be kept a profound secret” (Brands 122). A majority of the delegates had once been a part of the Continental Congress, and were familiar with the restrictions that the Articles of Confederation had placed on the national government. Brands’ essay highlights ...

Under the articles of confederation, Job Tucker enjoys the right for the United States –US to pay for defense and taxes under the article VIII. The article indicates that all charges and expenses incurred for the defense or general welfare proposed by the congress assembly shall become incurred by the US treasury (Walenta). Under the articles of confederation, Washington’s new status would not become accepted. Article VI states that no person holding any office or trust under the US will accept or present, office, emolument, or title of any kind from any King, prince or foreign state ( ...

Introduction

Since it gained independence the year 1776, the United States of America has grown to become one of the most powerful and developed countries in the world. The extent of America’s power can be measured by its great military and financial power that that only few countries can boast to possess. In terms of the country’s advanced level of development, the country has shown impressive levels of technological, governance and democratic advancement. However, this paper will seek to discuss on whether America’s level of democracy has been develop to its full potential or if there are a ...