Omar Bennett
The United States Constitution, which came into effect on March 4, 1789, superseded the Articles of Confederation, which had been in force since 1781. The Articles of Confederation, America's first constitution, established a league of friendship and a constitution for the 13 sovereign and independent states after the Revolution. However, it had no enforcement powers, couldn't regulate commerce, and couldn't print money, leading to concerns that the young country was on the brink of collapse. The U.S. Constitution, with its strong central government and three branches—executive, legislative, and judicial—along with a system of checks and balances, aimed to address these shortcomings and provide a more effective governing framework for the nation.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| America's first constitution | Articles of Confederation |
| Date of ratification | 1781 |
| Type of government | Loose confederation of states, each operating like independent countries |
| Composition of national government | Single legislature, the Congress of the Confederation; no president or judicial branch |
| Powers of the national government | Governing foreign affairs, conducting war, regulating currency |
| Limitations of power | No authority to enforce requests to the states for money or troops |
| Date superseded by the U.S. Constitution | March 4, 1789 |
| Number of articles in the U.S. Constitution | Originally 7, condensed from 23 |
| Number of states required for ratification | 9 out of 13 |
| Date of signing | September 17, 1787 |
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What You'll Learn
The Articles of Confederation
James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and George Washington, feared that the country was on the brink of collapse due to these issues. In 1786, Alexander Hamilton called for a constitutional convention to discuss revising the Articles of Confederation. The Constitutional Convention assembled in Philadelphia in May 1787, with delegates from all 13 states except Rhode Island, which refused to send representatives. The delegates, also known as the "framers" of the Constitution, were a well-educated group that included merchants, farmers, bankers, and lawyers, many of whom had served in the Continental Army or colonial legislatures.
The convention resulted in a plan for a stronger federal government with three branches: executive, legislative, and judicial, along with a system of checks and balances to ensure no single branch became too powerful. The new Constitution superseded the Articles of Confederation on March 4, 1789, and it was signed by 39 delegates on September 17, 1787. The United States Constitution is now the supreme law of the land, with a powerful central government and a bill of rights to protect individual freedoms.
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The Confederation Congress
The Articles of Confederation, America's first constitution, was in force from 1781 until the late 1780s. It established a "league of friendship" and a constitution for the 13 independent states after the Revolution. The Articles of Confederation gave the Confederation Congress the power to make rules and request funds from the states, but it had no enforcement powers, couldn’t regulate commerce, or print money.
The delegates to the Confederation Congress, such as Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, and James Madison, had differing views and interests. Some supported a more permanent union, while others were loyal to their states and wary of centralized power. They crafted compromises, but the Confederation Congress was ultimately ineffective in addressing the nation's problems, including Shays' Rebellion in Massachusetts.
The concerns about the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation and the Confederation Congress led to the Constitutional Convention in 1787, which formulated the current Constitution of the United States. The Constitutional Convention was convened to revise the Articles of Confederation and create a more powerful central government. Alexander Hamilton helped convince Congress to organize this convention, and General George Washington was unanimously elected as its president.
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The need for a stronger national government
The United States Constitution is the supreme law of the United States of America. It superseded the Articles of Confederation, the nation's first constitution, on March 4, 1789. The Articles of Confederation, which were in effect from 1781 until 1789, established a "league of friendship" and a constitution for the 13 sovereign and independent states after the American Revolution. However, the Articles of Confederation had several limitations that led to the need for a stronger national government.
One of the main issues with the Articles of Confederation was that they gave the Confederation Congress the power to make rules and request funds from the states, but it had no enforcement powers, couldn't regulate commerce, or print money. This meant that the central government had insufficient power to regulate commerce and was generally impotent in setting commercial policy. It couldn't effectively support a war effort and had little power to settle disputes between states. The states’ disputes over territory, war pensions, taxation, and trade threatened to tear the young country apart.
Another issue with the Articles of Confederation was the amendment process. The Articles provided that amendments were to be proposed by Congress and ratified by the unanimous vote of all 13 state legislatures. This proved to be a major flaw, as it created an insurmountable obstacle to constitutional reform. The amendment process crafted during the Philadelphia Constitutional Convention was designed to establish a balance between pliancy and rigidity, guarding against both extreme facility and extreme difficulty in making changes to the Constitution.
The delegates to the Constitutional Convention, also known as the "framers" of the Constitution, devised a plan for a stronger federal government with three branches: executive, legislative, and judicial. They also created a system of checks and balances to ensure that no single branch would have too much power. The Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787, by 39 delegates, and it established a more powerful central government that could effectively address the nation's challenges.
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The Constitutional Convention
The United States Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787, by delegates to the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, superseding the Articles of Confederation, the nation's first constitution, on March 4, 1789. The Constitutional Convention assembled in Philadelphia in May 1787, with 55 delegates in attendance, representing all 13 states except Rhode Island, which refused to send representatives because it did not want a powerful central government interfering in its economic business. The delegates, also known as the "framers" of the Constitution, were a diverse group that included merchants, farmers, bankers, and lawyers, with most having served in the Continental Army or colonial legislatures.
The delegates to the Constitutional Convention devised a plan for a stronger federal government with three branches: executive, legislative, and judicial. They also included a system of checks and balances to ensure that no single branch held too much power. The Constitution's first three articles embody the doctrine of the separation of powers, delineating the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of government. The Preamble outlines the Constitution's purpose and guiding principles, while the Bill of Rights guarantees basic individual protections such as freedom of speech and religion.
The process of drafting and finalizing the Constitution involved several committees. A Committee of Detail was elected to draft a detailed constitution reflecting the resolutions passed by the convention. This committee presented a 23-article constitution, which was then discussed and further amended. Near the end of the convention, a Committee of Style and Arrangement condensed the 23 articles into seven and finalized the document. On September 17, 1787, 38 delegates signed the Constitution, with George Reed signing on behalf of John Dickinson of Delaware, bringing the total number of signatures to 39.
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Ratification of the Constitution
The United States Constitution, the country's current and longest-lasting constitution, was ratified in 1788, superseding America's first constitution, the Articles of Confederation, which had been in effect since 1781. The Articles of Confederation created a weak national government that gave the Confederation Congress the power to make rules and request funds from the states, but it had no enforcement powers, couldn't regulate commerce, print money, or effectively support a war effort. It also had little power to settle quarrels between states.
Fearing that their young country was on the brink of collapse, James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and George Washington helped convince Congress to organise a Grand Convention of state delegates to revise the Articles of Confederation. The Constitutional Convention assembled in Philadelphia in May 1787, with 55 delegates in attendance, representing all 13 states except Rhode Island, which refused to send representatives because it did not want a powerful central government interfering in its economic business.
The delegates, also known as the "framers" of the Constitution, were a well-educated group that included merchants, farmers, bankers, and lawyers. They devised a plan for a stronger federal government with three branches: executive, legislative, and judicial, along with a system of checks and balances to ensure no single branch would have too much power. The new Constitution also included a Bill of Rights, which guaranteed basic individual protections, such as freedom of speech and religion.
The process of ratifying the Constitution was outlined in Article VII, which provided for ratification by popularly elected ratifying conventions in each state. Ratification by 9 of the 13 states was required to enact the new government. The Federalists, who believed in a strong central government, faced opposition from the Anti-Federalists, who fought against the Constitution because it created a powerful central government that reminded them of the one they had just overthrown, and it lacked a bill of rights. Eventually, the Federalists were able to secure victory in enough states to ratify the Constitution, and it went into effect on March 4, 1789.
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Frequently asked questions
The Articles of Confederation was the first constitution of the United States.
The U.S. Constitution came into effect on March 4, 1789, superseding the Articles of Confederation.
The Articles of Confederation gave Congress the power to govern foreign affairs, conduct war, and regulate currency. However, Congress had no authority to enforce its requests to the states for money or troops. It also had no enforcement powers, couldn't regulate commerce, or print money.
The Articles of Confederation provided that amendments were to be proposed by Congress and ratified by the unanimous vote of all 13 state legislatures. However, this proved to be a major flaw as it created an insurmountable obstacle to constitutional reform.
