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Compare and contrast declaration of independence and constitution
What are the main differences between the articles of confederation and constitution
What are the main differences between the articles of confederation and constitution
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Novus Ordoro Seclorum is Latin for “a new order for the ages.” Why did Americans select the constitutional order they did in 1787-1789, and why did they reject a more democratic and confederal form not more than a decade old? “Having initially hesitated in attending the Convention, once decided, Washington pushed the delegates to adopt ‘no temporizing expedient’ but instead to ‘probe the defects [of the Articles] to the bottom, and provide radical cures,’" from Matthew Spalding, Ph.D. At the beginning of the Philadelphia debates in 1787, Edmond Randolph set aside the Articles of Confederation and the Congress of Confederation, and instead created the skeleton of a new constitution which included a Supreme National Government with separate legislative, executive, and judicial branches; the start of a republican government. The final draft of the Constitution went to the floor of the convention on September 17, 1787. Fifty-five delegates were sent to Philadelphia to revise the Articles of Confederation, and after four months of debate, they had come up with something radically different from the Articles. The delegates were presented with three options of structure for their new government. The first was a Democracy, the second, a Confederacy, and lastly, Madison’s Republic. Under the Democratic view, the states were sovereign nations, resulting in absolutely no unity, and possible anarchy. Under the Confederate view, we observe a weak government, resting all the power in the states, ending in failure. After many months of debate, most of the delegates came to the conclusion a Republic was the best form of government, and they were absolutely correct. As the delegates gathered at the Philadelphia Convention, one of the many ... ... middle of paper ... ...culties, and would have rejoiced to find in the Constitution of the United States the remedy that is provided for the healing of the nation. Works Cited 1. Estrada, Will. “The Constitutional Convention.” Generation Joshua. 15, Oct 2011. HSLDA: Generation Joshua, Distance Learning Online Civic Classes. 15, Oct 2011. . 2. Schweikart, Larry and Allen, Michael. A Patriots History of the United States From Columbus’s Great Discovery To The War On Terror. New York; Penguin Group 2004. 3. Spalding, Ph.D., Matthew and Forte, David. “Heritage Guide to the Constitution: Formation of the Constitution” Heritage.org. 14, Sept 2007. The Heritage Foundation. 13, Oct 2011. .
Consistent to eighteenth-century ethos left the Constitution-makers with great faith in universals. They believed in an inexorable view of a self-interested man. Feeling that all me were naturally inclined to be bad they sought a compromising system of checks and balances for government. This was bolstered by the scientific work by Newton, ?in which metaphors sprang as naturally to mens minds as did biological metaphors in the Darwinian atmosphere of the late nineteenth century.? Therefore Madison and others thought to squelch the possibly dangerous majority by setting up a large number and variety of local interests, so that the people will ?be unable to concert and carry into effect their scheme of oppression.? And thus, chief powers went to the propertied.
Before the Constitution was drafted, the United States’ budding government, now independent from Great Britain, acted under a dysfunctional constitution called the Articles of Confederation. Although this constitution kept the new nation running, there were still flaws that needed to be fixed. The Articles of Confederation lacked a developed executive or judicial branch and a method for the main government to collect taxes from state governments, according to the background essay of the DBQ Packet. An assembly of fifty-five men eventually gathered for a Constitutional Convention in order to write a new constitution that would better satisfy the people’s needs. The trouble of creating another constitution lied behind creating a document
Holton, Woody. Unruly Americans and the Origins of the Constitution. New York: Hill and Wang, 2007.
The year of 1776 was a time of revolution, independence, and patriotism. American colonists had severed their umbilical cord to the Mother Country and declared themselves “Free and Independent States”.1 The chains of monarchy had been thrown off and a new government was formed. Shying away from a totalitarian government, the Second Continental Congress drafted a document called the Articles of Confederation which established a loose union of the states. It was an attempt at self-government that ended in failure. The Articles of Confederation had many defects which included a weak central government that lacked the power to tax, regulate trade, required equal representation and a unanimous vote to amend the Articles, and had only a legislative branch. As a result the United States lacked respect from foreign countries. These flaws were so severe that a new government had to be drafted and as a result the Constitution was born. This document remedied the weak points of the federal government and created one that was strong and fair, yet still governed by the people.
Schweikart, Larry, and Michael Allen. A Patriot's History of the United States: from Columbus's Great Discovery to the War on Terror. New York, NY: Sentinel, 2007. Print.
When I began reading the USCGA I expected a new approach to learning about the laws that formed our system of government. I didn’t anticipate thoroughly enjoying the clever side notes and illustrations, while adding to my knowledge that was formed during U.S History and Government classes in high school. Hennessy and McConnell succeeded in furnishing a new medium for constitutional schooling. That is especially useful as an introduction to the United States founding
Morris, Richard B. Witnesses at the creation Hamilton, Madison, Jay, and the Constitution. New York. Holt, Rinehart and Winston. 1985.
More and more states became interested in these changes and decided to meet in Philadelphia on May 25, 1787. On this date the Constitutional Convention was held and the U.S Constitution was presented as a new plan of government that would completely replace the old system. This new plan called for a strong central government that would have highest authority on legislation and implementing laws. The federalist papers supported the choice to replace the Articles of Confederation and advocated for a strong central government. They persuaded citizens that this new form of government would build a stronger national unity and it would provide greater protection overall.
The plan to divide the government into three branches was proposed by James Madison, at the Constitutional Convention of 1787. He modeled the division from who he referred to as ‘the Perfect Governor,’ as he read Isaiah 33:22; “For the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord is our king; He will save us.” http://www.eadshome.com/QuotesoftheFounders.htm
2. Schweikart, Larry, and Michael Allen. A Patriot's History of the United States: From Columbus's Great Discovery to the War on Terror. New York: Sentinel, 2004. Print
The delegates chosen to represent their states on May 25, 1787 at the Constitutional Convention could never have imagined the lasting impact they would have on the nation for over 200 years. These men from diverse upbringings and unique educational backgrounds came together to forge a nation. From the chaos and change of the old world, they were able to bring forth a new nation founded on liberty. It is hard to overrate the amount of foresight and knowledge needed by the Framers of the Constitution in constructing a document that would guide a new nation through times of peace and upheaval.
By the late eighteenth century, America found itself independent from England; which was a welcomed change, but also brought with it, its own set of challenges. The newly formed National Government was acting under the Articles of Confederation, which established a “firm league of friendship” between the states, but did not give adequate power to run the country. To ensure the young nation could continue independently, Congress called for a Federal Convention to convene in Philadelphia to address the deficiencies in the Articles of Confederation. While the Congress only authorized the convention to revise and amend the Articles the delegates quickly set out to develop a whole new Constitution for the country. Unlike the Articles of Confederation, the new Constitution called for a national Executive, which was strongly debated by the delegates. There were forces on both sides of the issue trying to shape the office to meet their ideology. The Federalists, who sought a strong central government, favored a strong National Executive which they believed would ensure the country’s safety from both internal and external threats. The Anti Federalists preferred to have more power in the hands of the states, and therefore tried to weaken the national Executive. Throughout the convention and even after, during the ratification debates, there was a fear, by some, that the newly created office of the president would be too powerful and lean too much toward monarchy.
The United States government was founded on a written set of principles known as the Constitution. There have only been 17 amendments, or changes, since ratification. While the United States has evolved with time the role and function of the government, and the way the government guarantees civil rights and liberties, has also evolved. These changes have resulted from changing or broadening of the interpretation of the constitution. Although the core of the constitution has not changed, it has expanded and its interpretation has changed to keep up with societal demands.
The document I chose to write about is the United States Constitution. When the thirteen British colonies in North America declared their independence in 1776, they laid down that “governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.” The “colonies” had to establish a government, which would be the framework for the United States. The purpose of a written constitution is to define and therefore more specifically limit government powers. After the Articles of Confederation failed to work in the 13 colonies, the U.S. Constitution was created in 1787.
During the birth of the new nation, the Founding Fathers sought to construct a system of checks and balances which were catalyzed by the common fear of tyrannical government and based upon the ideologies of the Enlightenment. In 1787, while the infant nation was wobbling on the weak footings of the Articles of Confederation, the Constitutional Convention was adjourned and disputes around power and representation mustered new plans for the future. Although the Convention intended to revise and rework the Articles, James Madison, alongside...