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Comparing the constitution andthe articles of confederation
Comparing the constitution andthe articles of confederation
Articles of confederation introduction
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In the beginning, George Washington was the leader of the Continental Army and the first President of the United States. There was a thought floating in the clouds as to why George Washington did not want to be present at the Constitutional Convention. Merely opposite of the fact, George Washington changed his mind and made his appearance at the Constitutional Convention. All the same, George Washington’s attendance at the Constitutional Convention was frankly presumable and therefore Washington brought up many of his own thoughts and ideas during the intense meeting. To illustrate, George Washington did not want to attend the Constitutional Convention for a variety of reasons. For example, Washington did not want to take the part of the Philadelphia Constitutional Convention because he believed that during the meeting no one would agree to the changes for the Articles of Confederation and he was unsure about how the country should be and the previsions that needed to be set to form a more balanced United States. Nevertheless, Washington did not want his name in the Constitution. Washington’s name was attempted to be written into the first draft of the Constitution because he was supposed to show presence at the Convention, but he did not due to the fact that “...It was my wish that my name might not remain in the delegation, to the exclusion of another...” 1 This explains that George Washington thought he would let other delegates and representatives take place in the meeting. Furthermore, Washington wanted to leave the Constitutional Convention of 1787 to his fellow pupils. Equally important, George Washington did not feel up to attending the Convention because he had severe rheumatism and, “sometimes he could ... ... middle of paper ... ...n's Decision to Attend the Constitutional Convention” (December 21, 2013) Kladly P. William Ph. D., “Constitutional Convention” (December 21, 2013) The Charters of Freedom, “America’s Founding Fathers Delegates to the Constitutional Convention” (December 22, 2013) U.S. Department of State Office of the Historian “Constitutional Convention and Ratification, 1787–1789” (December 22, 2013) Exploring Constitutional Conflicts, “The Constitutional Convention of1787” (December 26, 2013)
"His mind was great and powerful, without being of the very first order; his penetration strong . . . Perhaps the strongest feature in his character was prudence, never acting until every circumstance, every consideration, was maturely weighed; refraining if he saw a doubt, but, when once decided, going through with his purpose, whatever obstacles opposed." (Thomas Jefferson, as cited in "George Washington," 2006, para.19) George Washington is one of the most recognized and famous leaders in all history of the United States of America. He contributed greatly to the establishment of this prosperous country, from leading the Revolutionary armies into battle, to running the country as the first president, Washington has set precedence and example for all who have and are yet to follow. He was a noble man who demonstrated characteristics one would expect from a hero figure. He was not power-hungry, but did things and played his role for the good of the country, for patriotic purposes, to help America become the success it is today. In March of 1783, the soldiers of the American military were restless, bored and in a terrible state of doubt and distrust concerning the newly formed congress of the country. When these soldiers joined the army, they were promised a certain amount of money according to their service, but by the war's end, congress was nearly broke and not in a position to pay them all they had earned. The soldiers planned a rebellion against congress for their unjust treatment, and attempted to hold an unauthorized meeting of the officers on the matter. Washington forbade the meeting, but called for one a few days later, in which he gave his speech concerning the Newburgh Conspiracy ("The Rise and Fall," 2006, para.2). General Washington was a highly respected man among his peers, soldiers, and fellow men. His opinions, approval, and presence alone were enough to validate many plans, documents, and meetings throughout his life, so it is no wonder that even simple words or acts performed by General Washington were respected, and more often than not, taken to heart by his audience; perhaps this is why it may seem surprising that one of the most important speeches he ever gave fell on relatively deaf ears, leaving the audience hesitant, confused, seemingly unaffected by his powerful use of diction, and emotional appeal.
The United States Constitution is a national government that consist of citizen’s basic rights and fundamental laws. This document was signed on September 17, 1787 in Philadelphia by the majority of representatives. Today, the United States Constitution’s purpose is to supply a strong central government. However, before the United States Constitution was developed, many citizens did not support the constitution due to the fact that they found it contradicting and detached from the original goals of the Declaration of Independence. These citizens were known as anti-federalists. Fortunately, George Washington was a supporter of the constitution and had an enormous impact in the public support of the constitution. With a few adjustments, some
Another extremely important issue Washington faced was that of the Whiskey Rebellion. The whisky rebellion started when a tax was placed upon distilled liquor. The farmers of Pennsylvania completely infuriated at the taxed because Whisky was their most profitable product and their form of money. In 1794, they set up an armed uprising against the taxes. Alarmed by the attack, and following Hamilton’s advice, Washington sent over 12,000 troops into Pennsylvania for peace keeping. This was the first time a national militia was ever used in the new country. Washington’s decision proved to the people that Congress finally had th...
The 1787 Constitutional Convention was paramount in unifying the states after the Revolutionary War. However, in order to do so, the convention had to compromise on many issues instead of addressing them with all due haste. This caused the convention to leave many issues unresolved. Most notably were the issues of slavery, race, secession, and states’ rights. Through the Civil War and the Reconstruction, these issues were resolved, and in the process the powers of the federal government were greatly expanded.
Franklin's optimism came only after many months of debate and argumentation over the form of government that would best secure the future safety and happiness of the young American republic. At times it seemed that the Convention would fail as a result of seemingly views between the delegates, especially on the questions of selecting representatives to Congress, the relationship of the national and state governments, and the powers of the president.
Analyze the major concerns generated by the writing and ratification of the U.S. Constitution. (1786-1792)
The Articles of Confederation was the first government of the United States. The Articles had created a very weak national government. At the time the Articles were approved, they had served the will of the people. Americans had just fought a war to get freedom from a great national authority--King George III (Patterson 34). But after this government was put to use, it was evident that it was not going to keep peace between the states. The conflicts got so frequent and malicious that George Washington wondered if the “United” States should be called a Union (Patterson 35). Shays’ Rebellion finally made it evident to the public that the government needed a change.
Patrick Henry was invited to the Constitutional Convention, however, he vehemently declined the offer. He did not approve of the fact that they were secret meetings and went on to say “I smell a rat!” However, that did not stop him from voicing his thoughts on the national government that this new nation needed and against the one established at the Constitutional Convention. Patrick Henry was a
Some people have always wondered whether the making of Constitution of the United States was, in fact, supposed to happen at the Constitutional Convention or if it was even supposed to be drawn up in the way it was. In this essay, I will summarize to different views on what went on at the Constitutional Convention and how the Constitution of the United States come about. I want to emphasize that none of these views or theories discussed in this essay are my own. The convention that is referred to was held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It began In May of 1787.
p1 The presidency had never been done before in history and this was the first one of its kind, so the delegates used the knowledge that they had and the history before them to create the rules for the presidency (Milkis and Nelson 1). p2 The delegates also had experience with governments that were similar for the previous ten years including the articles of confederation (Milkis and Nelson 2). p3 The delegates were also tired of having tyrants run their colonies and they did not want their leader to chosen by a king. All men are supposed to be created equal and the delegates strongly believed in that (Milkis and Nelson 3). The people of the time during the constitutional convention wanted the president to be elected for his character and virtue,
Roland, J. (2011, November 10). Constitution for the United States of America. Retrieved from http://www.constitution.org/constit_.htm January 28, 2012.
"Writing It All Down: The Art of Constitution Making for the State & the Nation, 1776-1833." Maryland Constitutional Convention of 1776. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Jan. 201
it is the generous agreement among students of history that Washington's residency in office set the country on a way that has persevered through now in excess of 200 years, longer than some other republic ever. He made points of reference that would keep going for eras and accomplished more to substance out the skeleton of the presidential office than anybody could have expected or anticipated. As one researcher has said, he "created custom as he came." His activities, more than those of some other Founding Father, turned into an a piece of the "unwritten Constitution."
Parry, Skousen and Andres W. Allison. The Real George Washington. Washington, D.C. U.S., National Center for Constitutional Studies,1991.
"Constitution Menu: Constitutional Convention Overview." James Madison University - Home. Web. 03 June 2010. .