Eleanor Finch
The Founding Fathers of the United States, or the Founders, were a group of late-18th-century American revolutionary leaders who united the Thirteen Colonies, oversaw the War of Independence from Great Britain, and established the United States of America. They crafted a framework of government for the new nation, which was designed to limit government and establish rules for each part of the government. The Founders disagreed with each other and had vast and profound differences. They argued over federal intervention in the economy, foreign policy, and the authority of the executive branch. The Constitution, as drafted, was sharply criticized by the Anti-Federalists, who contended that the document failed to safeguard individual liberties from the federal government. Leading Anti-Federalists included Patrick Henry, Richard Henry Lee, and Samuel Adams. One of the last major unresolved problems was the method of electing the executive. The criticisms are what led to the amendments proposed under the Bill of Rights.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| A bill of rights ensuring individual liberties | Not included, but later added as the first 10 amendments |
| A method of electing the executive | Not included |
| Enforcement powers | Not included in the Articles of Confederation |
| Power to regulate commerce | Not included in the Articles of Confederation |
| Power to print money | Not included in the Articles of Confederation |
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What You'll Learn
No bill of rights
The original U.S. Constitution, drafted in 1787, did not include a bill of rights. This was a point of contention for the Anti-Federalists, who believed that the document failed to safeguard individual liberties from the federal government. The Anti-Federalists wanted power to remain with state and local governments and favoured a bill of rights to protect individual liberty.
The Founding Fathers, or Founders, were a group of late-18th-century American revolutionary leaders who united the Thirteen Colonies, oversaw the War of Independence from Britain, and established the United States of America. They crafted a framework of government for the new nation, which included the writing and signing of the United States Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation, and the Constitution of the United States.
The Founders disagreed with each other on many issues, including federal intervention in the economy and foreign policy. They also fought bitterly over how much authority rested with the executive branch and the relationship between federal and state governments. However, they all considered the federal system, or the division of power between state and national government, to be a critical part of the American constitutional order.
The Constitution was drafted by James Madison, who was originally opposed to the idea of a bill of rights. However, he was influenced by the 1776 Virginia Declaration of Rights and the Declaration of Independence, and he became the principal author of the Bill of Rights. The first ten amendments to the Constitution make up the Bill of Rights, which was added to the Constitution to limit government power and protect individual liberties.
The Ninth Amendment states that listing specific rights in the Constitution does not mean that people do not have other rights that have not been spelled out. The Tenth Amendment states that the Federal Government only has those powers delegated to it in the Constitution. The Fifth Amendment provides several protections for people accused of crimes, including the right against self-incrimination and the right to a fair trial. The Sixth Amendment provides additional protections, such as the right to a speedy and public trial and the right to an impartial jury. The First Amendment protects freedom of speech and freedom of religion.
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No protection of individual liberties
The US Constitution, as originally drafted, was criticised by the Anti-Federalists, a group that included Patrick Henry, Richard Henry Lee, and Samuel Adams, for not adequately safeguarding individual liberties from the federal government. The Anti-Federalists wanted power to remain with state and local governments and favoured a bill of rights to protect individual liberty.
The Founding Fathers, or Founders, were a group of late-18th-century American revolutionary leaders who oversaw the War of Independence from Great Britain, established the United States of America, and crafted a framework of government for the new nation. The Founders include those who wrote and signed the United States Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation, and the Constitution of the United States.
The Declaration of Independence expresses the ideals on which the United States was founded and the reasons for separation from Great Britain. The Constitution, as originally drafted, did not include a bill of rights, which was desired by the Anti-Federalists to protect individual liberty. The Founding Fathers disagreed with each other and had vast and profound differences. They argued over federal intervention in the economy and foreign policy, as well as the relationship between federal and state governments.
The criticisms of the Anti-Federalists led to the amendments proposed under the Bill of Rights, which was added to the Constitution to limit government power and protect individual liberties. James Madison, the principal author of the Bill of Rights, was originally opposed to the amendments but was influenced by the 1776 Virginia Declaration of Rights, primarily written by George Mason, and the Declaration of Independence. The Bill of Rights makes up the first ten amendments to the Constitution, including freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and due process.
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No enforcement powers
The Founding Fathers of the United States were a group of late-18th-century American revolutionary leaders who united the Thirteen Colonies, oversaw the War of Independence from Great Britain, established the United States of America, and crafted a framework of government for the new nation. The Founding Fathers include those who wrote and signed the United States Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation, and the Constitution of the United States.
The Articles of Confederation, America's first constitution, gave the Confederation Congress the power to make rules and request funds from the states, but it had no enforcement powers. This meant that the central government could not enforce its authority over the individual states, leading to disputes over territory, war pensions, taxation, and trade that threatened to tear the young country apart.
The Founding Fathers, wary of centralized power and loyal to their states, crafted a powerful central government with the Constitution. They created a system of checks and balances to ensure that each branch of government was balanced and that no one part of the government could dominate the others. The Constitution also provided for a Supreme Court, the highest court in the nation, to interpret the laws and resolve disputes between the states.
The lack of enforcement powers in the Articles of Confederation highlighted the need for a stronger central government. The Founding Fathers addressed this issue in the Constitution by granting the federal government the authority to enforce its laws and ensure compliance from the states. This shift in power dynamics between the central government and the states was a significant development in the formation of the United States.
The Constitution has been amended several times to further refine the balance of power and address issues that arose during the country's evolution. The first ten amendments, known as the Bill of Rights, were added to protect individual liberties and ensure that the federal government could not infringe upon the rights of its citizens. These amendments include freedom of speech, religion, and press, as well as the right to a jury trial and the right to keep and bear arms.
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No power to regulate commerce
The United States Constitution, as originally drafted, did not include a power to regulate commerce. This was a significant omission, as the country's first constitution, the Articles of Confederation, had also lacked enforcement powers, the ability to regulate commerce, and the ability to print money, which had led to disputes that threatened to tear the country apart.
The Commerce Clause, or Article 1, Section 8, Clause 3 of the U.S. Constitution, grants Congress the power "to regulate commerce with foreign nations, among the several states, and with the Indian tribes." This clause has been a source of controversy and debate, with courts and commentators discussing each area of commerce as a separate power granted to Congress. The Foreign Commerce Clause, the Interstate Commerce Clause, and the Indian Commerce Clause are the individual components of the Commerce Clause.
The interpretation of the word "commerce" has been a point of contention, with some arguing that it refers simply to trade or exchange, while others claim that the framers of the Constitution intended to describe broader commercial and social intercourse between citizens of different states. The Supreme Court has held that an activity is considered commerce if it has a "substantial economic effect" on interstate commerce or if the "cumulative effect" of one act could impact such commerce.
The Commerce Clause has been used by Congress to justify exercising legislative power over the activities of states and their citizens, leading to ongoing debates about the balance of power between the federal government and the states. The Tenth Amendment to the Constitution, which states that the federal government has the powers specifically delegated to it by the Constitution and that other powers are reserved for the states or the people, has been integral to the Court's view of the Commerce Clause. The interpretation of the Commerce Clause is crucial in determining the scope of federal power in controlling various aspects of American life.
In conclusion, while the original Constitution did not include an explicit power to regulate commerce, the Commerce Clause has emerged as a significant source of power for Congress, shaping the relationship between the federal government and the states and influencing numerous aspects of American life.
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No power to print money
The US Constitution, drafted in 1787, was a remarkable achievement by the Founding Fathers, who were tasked with revising the existing government but ended up creating a powerful central government. The Founding Fathers were wary of centralized power, loyal to their states, and crafted compromises to unite the Thirteen Colonies and establish the United States of America.
The original Constitution, also known as America's first constitution, was called the Articles of Confederation. It 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, and notably, it couldn't print money. This document, therefore, served as a framework for the Founding Fathers to create a more comprehensive Constitution.
The US Constitution, in Article I, Section 10, prohibits states from printing money. Specifically, it states that "No State shall... coin Money; emit Bills of Credit; make any Thing but gold and silver Coin a Tender in Payment of Debts". This means that individual states like Texas, California, or Alaska cannot print their own money.
However, the Constitution does grant Congress the power to coin money and regulate the currency of the United States. This power is derived from Article I, Section 8, Clause 5, which states that Congress has the power " [t]o coin Money, regulate the Value thereof, and of foreign Coin, and fix the Standard of Weights and Measures". Additionally, Article I, Section 8, Clause 6, known as the counterfeiting clause, authorizes Congress to prohibit the counterfeiting of coins or money.
The power to print money at the federal level but not at the state level was likely intended to prevent multiple currencies from circulating within the US. This interpretation is supported by the fact that the Constitution only applies within the US, and the desire to have a unified currency.
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Frequently asked questions
The Articles of Confederation was the first constitution of the United States. It 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 Founding Fathers were wary about centralized power and loyal to their states. They wanted to set up a fair and balanced government, with a powerful central government that could limit itself.
The Anti-Federalists, including Patrick Henry, Richard Henry Lee, and Samuel Adams, criticized the document for failing to safeguard individual liberties from the federal government. This led to the amendments proposed under the Bill of Rights, which includes the right to freedom of speech, religion, and press, as well as the right to a jury trial and the right to keep and bear arms.
