Understanding Colonists' Views On The Constitution

The Constitution of the United States was signed on September 17, 1787, by 38 delegates, establishing a powerful central government. The road to the Constitution began with the Continental Congress of 1774, which aimed to unite the 13 colonies as a nation and manage the struggle for American independence. The Continental Congress adopted the Articles of Confederation in 1777, which served as the first constitution, creating a loose confederation of states with a weak central government. However, the Articles' shortcomings became apparent, leading to efforts by nationalists like James Madison and George Washington to strengthen the federal government. The Constitutional Convention of 1787 proposed a new constitution, sparking debate between Federalists and Anti-Federalists. The colonists, influenced by Enlightenment thinkers and their British background, valued individual freedoms and pushed back against unfair British control, taxation, and lack of representation. The Constitution's framers drew inspiration from Britain's Magna Carta and the English Bill of Rights, incorporating principles such as freedom of speech, the right to bear arms, and the prohibition of cruel and unusual punishment.

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Colonists' rights and liberties

The issue of colonists' rights and liberties was also central to the debates surrounding the creation and adoption of the Articles of Confederation, the first constitution of the United States. The Articles created a loose confederation of states with a weak central government, leaving most of the power with the state governments. This arrangement proved problematic, as disputes among the states over territory, war pensions, taxation, and trade threatened to tear the young nation apart.

Leading statesmen, including James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and George Washington, recognized the need for a stronger central government and called for a special convention to revise the Articles, resulting in the Constitutional Convention of 1787. The convention delegates, representing diverse interests and views, crafted compromises to address the issues facing the young nation.

One of the fiercest arguments during the convention was over congressional representation. The framers compromised by giving each state one representative for every 30,000 people in the House of Representatives and two representatives in the Senate. They also agreed to count enslaved Africans as three-fifths of a person, temporarily resolving the contentious issue of slavery by allowing the slave trade to continue until 1808.

While the new Constitution established a much stronger national government, it initially lacked a bill of rights guaranteeing individual liberties. George Mason, for instance, bitterly opposed the absence of a bill of rights and called for a new convention to reconsider the formation of the government. Despite this resistance, the Constitution was eventually ratified by the necessary number of states, replacing the Articles of Confederation as the framework of the United States government.

Resistance to British rule

The colonists also objected to the presence of British troops in the colonies, seeing them as a constant reminder of their subservience to the crown. The Mutiny (or Quartering) Act of 1765, which required colonial assemblies to house and supply British soldiers, further angered the colonists. They saw this as an attempt to tax them without their consent and several colonial assemblies refused to comply. The Townshend Duties, enacted in 1767, imposed taxes on paper, paints, glass, and tea imported into the colonies. This led to boycotts and harassment of customs commissioners, particularly in Boston. In response, the British deployed troops to the city, escalating tensions.

The "Boston Massacre" of 1770, in which five Bostonians were killed and a dozen were wounded in a clash with British troops, became a symbol of British oppression and brutality. American revolutionaries viewed British actions from 1767 to 1772 with suspicion, believing that their liberties were under threat. They resented the taxation system, feeling that their monies were being used to enrich corrupt British officials and "enslave" colonists.

The First Continental Congress, which met in 1774, began coordinating Patriot resistance through underground networks. The Battles of Lexington and Concord in 1775 marked the beginning of the American Revolutionary War, during which the Continental Army, led by George Washington, achieved significant victories. The Siege of Yorktown in 1781 led to the collapse of British control and the Treaty of Paris in 1783, which granted the former colonies independence and territory east of the Mississippi River and south of the Great Lakes.

The need for a stronger central government

The founding fathers of the United States of America were faced with the challenge of uniting 13 independent states, each with their own interests and views, into a single nation. The Articles of Confederation, America's first constitution, created a loose confederation of sovereign states with a weak central government, leaving most of the power with the state governments.

However, it soon became apparent that a stronger central government was needed. The Articles of Confederation gave the Confederation Congress the power to make rules and request funds from the states, but it lacked enforcement powers, could not regulate commerce, and could not print money. The states' disputes over territory, war pensions, taxation, and trade threatened to tear the young country apart. Leading statesmen, including James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and George Washington, recognized the need for a more powerful central authority and called for a special convention to revise the Articles of Confederation.

The Constitutional Convention of 1787 proposed a new constitution establishing a much stronger national government. The delegates, representing a wide range of interests and views, crafted compromises to address the issues facing the young nation. One of the fiercest arguments was over congressional representation, which they resolved by giving each state one representative for every 30,000 people in the House of Representatives and two representatives in the Senate. They also grappled with the issue of slavery, temporarily resolving it by agreeing that the slave trade could continue until 1808.

The new Constitution provoked a great deal of resistance, with some arguing that it rushed to establish a potentially ruinous central authority without ensuring individual liberties. Despite this opposition, the Constitution was eventually ratified by the necessary number of states, replacing the Articles of Confederation as the framework of the United States government. The founders bypassed the state legislatures, recognizing that their members would be reluctant to cede power to a national government. Instead, they called for special ratifying conventions in each state, and ratification by 9 of the 13 states enacted the new government.

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The Articles of Confederation's weaknesses

The Articles of Confederation, the first constitution of the United States, united the states as a loose league of independent states with a weak central government. While it served as the first attempt to govern the independent states as a confederation, the Articles had several weaknesses that threatened to tear the young country apart.

One of the primary weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation was the lack of enforcement powers. The central government lacked the authority to levy taxes, regulate commerce, or raise funds independently. Congress could only request voluntary contributions from the states to fund the common treasury, but these requests often went unfulfilled. This inability to generate revenue and regulate trade hindered the government's ability to manage the country's economy effectively.

Additionally, the Articles of Confederation did not provide the central government with the power to enforce its decisions. Congress could make treaties and alliances, maintain an army, and declare war, but it lacked the authority to ensure compliance with its decisions. The states often ignored congressional mandates, and the central government struggled to exert influence over the individual states. This weakness in enforcement powers undermined the effectiveness of the central government and led to divisions among the states.

The Articles of Confederation also suffered from a lack of respect and support from the state governments. State legislatures were anxious to maintain their power and often paid little attention to the national legislative body. The weak central government had limited influence over the states, and its mandates were frequently disregarded. This dynamic contributed to local rebellions and threatened to destroy the unity of the young nation.

Furthermore, the Articles of Confederation required all important legislation and amendments to be ratified by a majority of the states. This liberum veto gave each state significant influence over the legislative process. With several delegations often absent, a single state could defeat legislative proposals of major importance. This made it challenging to pass legislation and amend the Articles, hindering the government's ability to adapt to changing circumstances.

The weaknesses in the Articles of Confederation became increasingly apparent, and it was recognised that a stronger central authority was needed. Leading statesmen, including James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and George Washington, advocated for a more powerful central government. Their efforts culminated in the Constitutional Convention of 1787, which proposed a new constitution establishing a stronger national government and addressing the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation.

The ratification process

The delegates to the convention were familiar with the challenges of the previous decade, during which Congress had proposed several amendments to the Articles to strengthen its powers. While these amendments had the support of a large majority of the states and the people, none were adopted due to the requirement of unanimous ratification by the state legislatures. This highlighted the need for a stronger central government.

The Constitutional Convention concluded on September 17, 1787, with 38 out of 41 delegates signing the new US Constitution. It was then sent to the states for ratification, with nine of the thirteen states required to ratify before it could become the nation's founding document. The first state to ratify was Delaware on December 7, 1787, followed by Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia, and Connecticut.

On June 21, 1788, New Hampshire became the ninth state to ratify the Constitution, making it the official framework of the US government. The remaining four states eventually ratified the Constitution by May 29, 1790. The first federal elections were held from December 15, 1788, to January 10, 1789, and the new government, with George Washington as President and John Adams as Vice President, began on March 4, 1789.

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