Eleanor Finch
The first attempt at a national constitution was called the Articles of Confederation, which served as the written document that established the functions of the national government of the United States after it declared independence from Great Britain. The Articles of Confederation were a compromise that established the first national government, comprising a loose confederation of sovereign states and a weak central government, leaving most of the power with the state governments.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | Articles of Confederation |
| Established | Functions of the national government of the United States |
| Type of Government | Loose confederation of sovereign states with a weak central government |
| Legislative Procedures | Each state had one vote, required a "super majority" on important issues, and established requirements for representatives |
| Trade | Regulated domestic and international trade |
| Currency | Created a national currency |
| Military | Could request soldiers and funds from the states |
| Enforcement Powers | None |
| Regulation of Commerce | None |
| Printing of Money | None |
| Ratification | Ratified by 9 of the 13 states |
| Date of Adoption | November 15, 1777 |
| Date of Ratification | March 1, 1781 |
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What You'll Learn
The Articles of Confederation
The limitations of the Articles of Confederation led to calls for revision and replacement at the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia in 1787.
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Established a weak central government
The Articles of Confederation, America's first constitution, established a weak central government. The document was established in 1777 and lasted until 1789, when it was replaced by the U.S. Constitution. The Articles of Confederation were created in response to widespread antipathy toward a strong central government, and as a result, the national government was purposely kept as weak as possible, with the states being as independent as possible.
The Articles of Confederation gave the Confederation Congress the power to make rules and request funds from the states, but it lacked enforcement powers and could not regulate commerce or print money. Each state had one vote in Congress, regardless of size, and Congress did not have the power to tax or regulate foreign and interstate commerce. The national government could not prevent individual states from conducting their own foreign diplomacy, as was the case with Georgia's independent policy regarding Spanish Florida.
The weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation became apparent soon after they took effect, with states' disputes over territory, war pensions, taxation, and trade threatening to tear the young country apart. The Articles also did not allow Congress sufficient authority to enforce provisions of the 1783 Treaty of Paris, which allowed British creditors to sue debtors for pre-Revolutionary debts. This led to British forces continuing to occupy forts in the Great Lakes region.
The problems with the Articles of Confederation, combined with the Confederation government's ineffectual response to Shays' Rebellion in Massachusetts, convinced national leaders that a more powerful central government was necessary. This led to calls for revision and eventually replacement at the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia in 1787.
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Lacked enforcement powers
The Articles of Confederation, America's first constitution, established a weak central government that was largely ineffective. While it gave the Confederation Congress the power to make rules and request funds from the states, it lacked enforcement powers, which made it difficult to maintain an effective government.
One of the key issues with the Articles of Confederation was that it couldn't prevent states from conducting their own foreign policies and diplomacy. For example, the national government was unable to stop the state of Georgia from pursuing an independent policy regarding Spanish Florida, which included occupying disputed territories and threatening war if Spanish officials did not curb Indian attacks or refrain from harbouring escaped slaves. The Articles also failed to give Congress sufficient authority to enforce provisions of the 1783 Treaty of Paris, which allowed British creditors to sue debtors for pre-Revolutionary debts. This resulted in British forces continuing to occupy forts in the Great Lakes region, as state governments chose to ignore the treaty.
The lack of enforcement powers also meant that the central government couldn't collect taxes from the states to fund its operations. This made it difficult for the government to maintain an effective military or back its own currency. Additionally, the Articles of Confederation didn't provide for a common currency, which made trade between states and other countries challenging.
The Articles of Confederation also struggled to address the states' disputes over territory, war pensions, taxation, and trade, which threatened to tear the young country apart. The lack of enforcement powers and the inability to regulate commerce or print money ultimately led to calls for revision and replacement, resulting in the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia in 1787, which ended the era of the Articles of Confederation.
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Ratification by 9 of 13 states
The Articles of Confederation, America's first constitution, established a weak central government that was largely ineffective. It lacked enforcement powers, the ability to regulate commerce, and the power to print money. It also couldn't prevent states from conducting their own foreign diplomacy.
The Articles of Confederation required ratification by 9 of the 13 states to pass laws, and this proved challenging. While it took until February 1779 for 12 states to approve the document, Maryland held out until March 1781, delaying full ratification.
The process of ratifying the new Constitution, America's second attempt at a national constitution, was similarly contentious. The Federalists, who supported a strong central government, needed to convert at least three states, as only 6 of 13 states initially reported a pro-Constitution majority. The Anti-Federalists opposed the Constitution due to its creation of a powerful central government and its lack of a bill of rights.
The ratification campaign was intense, and the tide turned in Massachusetts with the "vote now, amend later" compromise, which helped secure victory in that state and influenced the final holdouts. Delaware became the first state to ratify the new Constitution on December 7, 1787, followed by Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia, Connecticut, and others.
Eventually, 11 states ratified the Constitution, and on September 13, 1788, the Continental Congress passed a resolution to put the new Constitution into operation.
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The Federalists vs. Anti-Federalists
The first attempt at a national constitution was called the Articles of Confederation. It was written during the Revolutionary War, which saw 13 separate entities united against a common enemy. The Articles of Confederation established the functions of the national government of the United States after it declared independence from Great Britain.
Now, onto the topic of Federalists vs. Anti-Federalists.
The Federalists and the Anti-Federalists had vastly differing views on the role of central government, with the Federalists favouring a strong central government and the Anti-Federalists opposing this idea. The Federalists believed that a strong central government was necessary for the nation to face its challenges. They were instrumental in shaping the new US Constitution in 1787, which strengthened the central government.
The Anti-Federalists, on the other hand, opposed the ratification of the US Constitution. They argued that it created a powerful central government that reminded them of the one they had just overthrown, and it lacked a bill of rights. The Anti-Federalists wanted to ensure that the liberties they felt the Constitution violated were protected. However, they struggled to organize efficiently across all thirteen states, and so they had to fight the ratification at every state convention.
The ratification campaign was a close contest. A compromise in Massachusetts, where the "vote now, amend later" strategy helped secure victory, eventually tipping the balance in favour of the Federalists. This resulted in the establishment of the US Constitution as the new governing document, with the Federalists shaping the nature of the central government.
The differences between the Federalists and Anti-Federalists were complex and had a significant impact on the early political landscape of the United States, shaping the country's governance and the role of central versus state power.
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Frequently asked questions
The first attempt at a national constitution was called the Articles of Confederation.
The Articles of Confederation served as the written document that established the functions of the national government of the United States after it declared independence from Great Britain.
The Continental Congress adopted the Articles of Confederation on November 15, 1777, but the states did not ratify them until March 1, 1781.
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.
Amid the Revolutionary War, the colonies' different agendas stalled military success. The "free and independent states" in the Declaration of Independence also feared yielding too much power to a central government. The Articles of Confederation was a compromise that established the first national government.
