Confederation and Constitution Essay - 1539 Words

The Constitution of 1787of the United States of America is signed by 38 of 41 delegates present at the conclusion of the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia. Supporters of the document paid a hard won battle to win ratification by the necessary nine out of thirteen U.S. states. The Articles of Confederation, ratified just before the British surrender at Yorktown in 1781. Congress the central authority had the control to govern foreign concerns, conduct war, and control currency. These powers were suddenly limited because Congress was given no authority to enforce its requests to the states for money or troops. By 1786, it was specious that the Union would soon break up if the Articles of Confederation were not corrected or replaced.†¦show more content†¦The Article of Confederations had many strengths starting with declaring war and making peace. Another strength that the Article of Confederations had was to coin and borrow money. The Article of Confederations even det ailed with foreign countries and sign treaties. Even though the Article of Confederation had its strength, it also had its weaknesses. The Articles of Confederation was the first official government of the United States and there were lots weaknesses. The national government could not power the states to follow its laws. It did not have the authority to implement laws. Congress did not have a strong and steady leadership. There was no official army or navy. There was no organization of national courts. Each state had the authority to issue its own paper money. Each state also had the authority to put tariffs on trades between states. Under the there was only a one legislature so that there was no separation of powers. The central government was too weak since the most of the power rested with the states. Congress did not have the control over taxes which meant their finances were not in order. In order to change the Article of Confederation, common approval of the states was required which basically meant that changes to the Artic les were difficult. For laws to pass they had to be approved by atShow MoreRelatedConfederation and Constitution1594 Words   |  7 PagesConfederation 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 â€Å"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 wereRead MoreConfederation and Constitution1483 Words   |  6 Pages| 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 governmentsRead MoreConfederation and Constitution1416 Words   |  6 PagesArticles of Confederation vs. Constitution   http://www.123helpme.com/search.asp?text=American+History http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/constitution_history.html â€Æ'   There were many differences between the Articles of Confederation and the Constitution. 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Constitution Essay1230 Words   |  5 PagesConfederation and Constitution The English Parliament in the 1760s decided to increase taxes to the American colonies, which was established by the colonies as unjust due to taxation without proper representation in the parliament. As a result, the 13th colonies decided to create their own government and in 1777, Congress drafted the Articles of Confederation. This was America’s first written constitution. After the Revolutionary War, the Federal government under the Articles did not have enoughRead MoreThe Articles of Confederation and The Constitution1238 Words   |  5 Pagesgovernment has been defined by two very important documents. Reflecting on all governments of the past, they laid forth an impressive jumble of ideas that would lead the way to where we are today. These two documents are the Article of Confederation and the U.S Constitution. These two documents of precedent are both similar and unique, each with its own pros and cons, and neither being perfect. Both these documents addressed the pro minent vital in national vs. state sovereignty, legislative selectionRead MoreThe Constitution And The Articles Of Confederation1373 Words   |  6 Pageswould enforce them? I will address some of the differences between the Constitution and The Articles of Confederation. The Articles of Confederation were designed and formed from the thirteen states that created a Confederation known as the â€Å"league of friendship†; their goal was to find solutions for problems; and one of the first attempts to create a system. The Articles of Confederation was our nation’s first constitution; during the last years of the Revolutionary war, the government had beenRead MoreThe Articles Of Confederation And The Constitution921 Words   |  4 PagesConstitution and Articles Analysis The Articles of Confederation and The Constitution were both written I believe to ensue peace in a new nation where great freedoms had just been betrothed upon. Both written within ten years of each other, the main point it was trying to get across was the idea of one nation. They were written by the same people who all in all had similar ideas. There are many differences as well. From the main one being sovereign states, to how many states must approve an amendmentRead MoreThe Articles Of Confederation And The Constitution891 Words   |  4 Pages Throughout American history, many Americans assume that too much power is given to one party or the other. The Article of confederation was important in the United States because it affected the way over government functions today. Specifically, under the Article of confederation, the United States was intended to be formed on a basis of Federalism. Within this structure of Federalism, states have their own rights and majority of power with its people. The federal government on the other hand,Read MoreThe Articles Of Confederation And The Constitution1130 Words   |  5 Pages After America won its independence from Great Britain in 1783, the Articles of Confederation were created to serve as the basis of American democracy. Years subsequent to the creation of the Articles of Confederation, delegates from all states, with the exception of Rhode Island, assembled in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to mend the weaknesses the Articles displayed throughout its practice. This meeting on Septe mber 17, 1787, resulted in the newly drafted terms for which the United States democracy