This would prove to cause competition between the states for power, economic and environmental resources, and political positioning. The interstate commerce law and the associated legislation did not exist under the articles. The Articles of Confederation were far less robust in their structure, giving states the majority of the unchecked power, and not allowing the Federal government the ability to oversee and tax the population in order to develop a balanced and fair economy. The articles did not even allow the Federal government the ability to raise an army, putting that responsibility squarely on the shoulders of the states themselves as well. The articles were certainly a step in the right direction, but they did not represent the best possible scenario for the young United States, and the Founding Fathers were more than capable of creating a far superior governmental framework in the Constitution. Even after the adoption of the Constitution, there were still entire populations of people living in the newly independent United States who were not included in the debate over the rights of the populace. These groups were slaves, Native Americans, women, and non-land owning white males. The significance of the absence of these people's rights can be attributed to social and cultural factors. During the time period that the Constitution was written in, these people did not hold the same social status as wealthy white men (Frickey 455). For people in...
Native Americans in particular were doomed to become a shadow of their former presence over the next century and a half. The Federal Indian law, which came well after the Constitution, served to not only help justify the massacres and holocaust of Native Americans that was occurring during the 19th century, but to also allow white settlers the power and freedom to act independently as their own judge, jury, and executioner (Frickey 460). Women and blacks were given the right to vote in the 19th century, and slavery was abolished following the Emancipation Proclamation put forth but Abraham Lincoln. The Constitution was never intended to challenge the ruling class's stranglehold on politics and the economy, but to set up a new structure to function within (Fallon 1798). The social structure that endured for nearly 150 years is testament to this fact.
Articles of Confederation and Constitution Constitution addressed a number of complaints listed in the Declaration of Independence against Great Britain's King. In addition, the Constitution cured a number of weaknesses in the Articles of Confederation by giving powers, rights and divisions to the federal government, as well as providing a different method of amending the Constitution. At times, the Constitution was developed through compromises such as the Great Compromise, which set
Articles of Confederation & Constitution The Articles of Confederation and the Constitution The United States government has operated under two constitutions since its inception. The Articles of Confederation was ratified by Maryland on March 1, 1781 and was in effect until it was replaced by the Constitution upon its ratification by New Hampshire on June 21, 1788. The two documents differed in many respects. The Articles of Confederation was unicameral. Each state
Articles of Confederation with the new Constitution of 1787. We will see what were the strengths and weaknesses of the Articles vis-a-vis the Constitution and give specific instances that demonstrate the weakness of the Articles, in particular its financial issues. Default and debt is an American tradition and it was initiated with gusto in the days following the Revolution when Dutch and French holders of American bonds found it impossible
Articles of Confederation has gone down in history and always will be known for the absolute failure that it was. In 1777, there was a need to lay a foundation or formulate a balanced government in accordance with the ideals of the American Revolution. The Articles of Confederation reflected the fears of American after the Revolutionary War, and their desire to free themselves of tyrannical rule. In order to
United States Constitution, the Articles of Confederation, the Declaration of Independence, and the Great Compromise The Articles of Confederation was the first document attempting to govern how the newly independent states were to act together in their union. However, the Articles of Confederation had significant flaws that rendered them an unrealistic tool for the government of the new states. While not all inclusive, the following are some of the weaknesses
Federalism, Unitary, And Confederation Federalism: Federalism is a political system of governance in which powers are divided among two levels of government, i.e., a central government and governments based in smaller political units, usually called states, provinces, or territories. In this system of government, the smaller political units surrender some of their political power to the central government, relying on it to act for the common good. (Davidson, Encarta article) Comparison of
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