Eleanor Finch
Harry Turtledove's short story 'Elder Skelter' imagines a world in which the US Constitution was never ratified. In this story, the Twenty-second Amendment is still ratified on its OTL schedule in The Hot War, and the US Constitution has been amended twenty-seven times. Turtledove's story explores what might have happened if the US had continued to be ruled under the Articles of Confederation, which emphasised the sovereignty of individual states. This alternate history imagines a world in which the US dissolves, and the individual states work as separate entities joined together rather than as a unitary body.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Authority granted to the central government | Limited to representing the United States in international matters |
| Inter-state matters | Individual states emphasised as sovereign |
| Congress | Had to ask the states for nearly everything |
| Country | In mortal danger |
Explore related products
What You'll Learn
The sovereignty of individual states
If the Constitution was never ratified, the United States would have been ruled under the Articles of Confederation. The Articles emphasised the sovereignty of individual states much more than the Constitution would later recognise. The Articles outlined a working model of separate entities joined together, rather than a unitary body. Congress would have to ask the states for nearly everything.
The Evolution of Russia's Constitution: Ratification Timeline
You may want to see also
The authority of the central government
If the Constitution was never ratified, the authority of the central government would have been limited. The Articles of Confederation emphasised the sovereignty of individual states, and the central government's power was largely restricted to representing the United States in international matters. The Articles outlined a league of separate entities joined together, rather than a unitary body.
Congress would have had to ask the states for nearly everything, and the country would have been in mortal danger of collapse. The Constitution was created to fix these issues, and while throwing out the Articles and creating a new government was not technically legal, it was necessary to prevent the collapse of the republic within 30 years.
The central government's authority would have been significantly weaker without the Constitution, and the United States would have functioned more as a collection of separate states rather than a unified body. The individual states would have had much more power and autonomy, and the central government would have had little say in inter-state matters.
The lack of a strong central authority could have led to conflicts and disagreements between the states, as they would have had to rely on their own resources and power to resolve issues. Without a unified government to make decisions and enforce laws, the United States may have struggled to maintain its unity and stability.
Overall, the authority of the central government without the Constitution would have been limited to international matters, with the states retaining most of the power and sovereignty. The United States may have struggled to function as a cohesive unit, and the central government would have had little authority in inter-state matters.
The Proposal's Power: Constitution Ratification Explored
You may want to see also
The Articles of Confederation
Under the Articles, the central government had very little authority over inter-state matters, and Congress had to ask the states for nearly everything. The Articles were ratified in 1781, but they were never properly implemented, and the country was in mortal danger of collapsing within 30 years.
The US Constitution was created to fix these issues, and it gave much more power to the central government. The Twenty-second Amendment, for example, states that no person can be elected president more than twice, and the Constitution has since been amended 27 times.
If the Constitution had never been ratified, the United States may have dissolved, and the individual states may have become separate countries.
Why the 1868 Constitution Was Ratified: Exploring the Reasons
You may want to see also
Explore related products
The dissolution of the United States
Harry Turtledove's book *The Disunited States of America* imagines a world in which the US Constitution was never ratified. In this scenario, the United States dissolves. The Constitution was created to fix issues with the Articles of Confederation, which emphasised the sovereignty of individual states. Under the Articles, the central government had little authority over inter-state matters. The country was in mortal danger, and the Constitution was an attempt to save the republic from collapsing in under 30 years.
The Articles outlined a league of separate entities joined together, rather than a unitary body. Without the Constitution, the US would have been ruled under the Articles of Confederation, with individual states having much more power. The central government would have had little authority to act on inter-state matters, and the country would have been more like a loose league of separate entities than a unitary body.
The United States would likely have struggled to act as a cohesive unit without a strong central government. It may have been difficult for the country to present a united front in international matters, and the individual states may have had very different experiences and trajectories. Some states may have even chosen to secede from the union entirely, further fragmenting the country.
Without the Constitution, the United States as we know it would not exist. The country may have been replaced by several smaller nations, each with its own government and policies. The individual states may have had very different fates, and the course of history would have been drastically altered.
Federalists and the Constitution: Support and Ratification
You may want to see also
The role of Congress
In Harry Turtledove's alternate history, the United States is ruled under the Articles of Confederation. The Articles emphasise the sovereignty of individual states, and the central government has little authority over inter-state matters.
The Federalist Papers: Precursor or Consequence of the Constitution?
You may want to see also
Frequently asked questions
Disunited States of America.
The book imagines an alternate history of the USA.
Alternate history.
