Jonah Patel
The United States Constitution, which has served as the supreme law of the country since 1789, was written at the 1787 Philadelphia Convention and ratified through a series of state conventions held in 1787 and 1788. The period between the end of the American Revolutionary War and the ratification of the Constitution has been referred to as a critical period of American history, marked by economic and political chaos, and a crisis of leadership. The country's first constitution, the Articles of Confederation, provided for a loose alliance of states with a weak central government, which led to disputes over territory, war pensions, taxation, and trade. This prompted leaders like James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and George Washington to call for a stronger federal government, resulting in the creation of a new constitution.
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What You'll Learn
The US was in a ''critical period' of economic and political chaos
The US, in its early years, was a loose confederation of sovereign states with a weak central government. The Articles of Confederation, the country's first constitution, gave the Confederation Congress the power to make rules and request funds from the states, but it had no enforcement powers, could not regulate commerce, or print money. This led to disputes over territory, war pensions, taxation, and trade, threatening to tear the young nation apart.
The period between the end of the American Revolutionary War and the ratification of the Constitution, known as the "critical period," was marked by economic and political chaos. The country faced a crisis of leadership, with many believing the nation was on the brink of collapse. Divisions among the states and local rebellions threatened the fruits of the Revolution. The federalists, a relatively small group, viewed this era as a critical period, advocating for a stronger central government to address the nation's challenges.
The nationalist movement, led by figures like James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and George Washington, began working towards strengthening the federal government. They believed that a powerful central government was necessary to face the nation's challenges and manage foreign relations, ensure security, and establish uniform currency and common copyright and immigration laws. However, their efforts were opposed by those who preferred the continued supremacy of the states, viewing the strong central government as a reminder of the one they had just overthrown.
The delegates to the Philadelphia Convention in 1787, representing diverse interests and views, crafted a powerful central government while compromising to address concerns about centralized power. They proposed a new constitution, bypassing the state legislatures and calling for special ratifying conventions in each state. The ratification process was challenging, with intense debates between Federalists and Anti-Federalists. The Federalists eventually prevailed, and the new constitution was ratified in 1788, marking the end of the Confederation Period and the critical period of economic and political chaos.
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The Articles of Confederation were America's first constitution
The United States of America did not have a formal constitution before 1789. However, the Articles of Confederation, adopted by the Continental Congress on November 15, 1777, served as its first constitution.
The Articles of Confederation established a "league of friendship" for the 13 sovereign and independent states. Each state retained its sovereignty, freedom, and independence, and every power "not by this confederation expressly delegated to the United States, in Congress assembled." The Articles outlined a Congress with each state holding one vote, and ratification by all 13 states was necessary to set the Confederation into motion.
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. The central government's power was quite limited, and it could not compel the British army to leave American soil, even after the Treaty of Paris in 1783, which ended hostilities with Great Britain.
The weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation led to calls for a stronger central government. In 1786, John Jay and others called for an independent executive with more decisive power than a large legislative body like Congress. In 1787, Alexander Hamilton helped convince Congress to organize a Grand Convention of state delegates to work on revising the Articles. The Constitutional Convention assembled in Philadelphia in May 1787, and by mid-June, the delegates had decided to create an entirely new form of government. After three months of heated debate, the new Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787, by 38 delegates, with one signature added later in absentia, bringing the total to 39.
The new Constitution provided for a stronger central government, addressing the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation. It took effect in 1789, marking the end of the Confederation Period and the beginning of federal operations under the new Constitution.
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The US had a vast territory spanning from the Atlantic to the Mississippi
In 1787, Congress passed the Northwest Ordinance, which established the first organised territory under the control of the confederated government. This was a significant step towards central governance. The US Constitution, ratified in 1788, and implemented in 1789, further solidified federal control over these territories.
The US Constitution has been amended twenty-seven times since 1789. The Constitution grants Congress dominion and sovereignty over territories, with the power to make rules and regulations. Territories have a measure of self-governance, granted by Congress, but are not part of any state or federal district.
The issue of citizenship for residents of US territories is complex and ongoing. While some territories have been granted statutory citizenship, the question of constitutional citizenship is still being debated, with residents of territories seeking the protection of the Constitution's birthright citizenship.
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The US had a weak central government
The United States Constitution, which came into effect in 1789, was the country's second attempt at establishing a functioning government. The first attempt, the Articles of Confederation, had provided for a loose alliance of states with a weak central government.
The Articles of Confederation, which were ratified in 1781, gave the Confederation Congress the power to make rules and request funds from the states. However, Congress had no enforcement powers, could not regulate commerce, and could not print money. This led to disputes over territory, war pensions, taxation, and trade, which threatened to tear the young country apart.
The weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation became increasingly apparent after the Revolutionary War, as Americans—including state leaders—had mobilized people for war by decrying unjust taxes. States faced the difficult and unpopular task of collecting revenue for public services, and the most common form of public revenue was property taxes.
The lack of a strong central government also made it difficult to manage foreign relations and ensure security. For example, in the aftermath of the Revolutionary War, the British refused to evacuate US territory, while the Spanish used their control of the Mississippi River to stymie Western settlement.
Fearing that their young country was on the brink of collapse, leaders such as James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and George Washington began working towards strengthening the federal government. In 1786, Charles Cotesworth Pinckney of South Carolina led the creation of a grand congressional committee to consider constitutional amendments. The following year, Congress passed the Northwest Ordinance, which established the first organized territory under the control of the confederated government.
In May 1787, delegates from twelve of the thirteen states convened in Philadelphia to write a new constitution. The delegates, who represented wildly different interests and views, created a powerful central government. They crafted compromises and bypassed the state legislatures, reasoning that their members would be reluctant to give up power to a national government. Instead, they called for special ratifying conventions in each state.
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The US had no uniform currency
The United States before the Constitution was a very different place, and the lack of a uniform currency was just one of the many issues that the country faced.
The period between the end of the American Revolutionary War and the ratification of the Constitution has been referred to as a “critical period” of American history. During this time, the country was facing a crisis of leadership, economic and political chaos, and a weak central government. 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 and couldn't regulate commerce or print money. This led to disputes over territory, war pensions, taxation, and trade, which threatened to tear the young country apart.
The lack of a uniform currency was one of the flaws of the Articles of Confederation. Each state had its own currency, which made trade and economic transactions between states difficult and complicated. This was a time when Americans paid taxes to the state in which they lived or did business. States had to collect revenue for public services, which was challenging, especially after a revolution where Americans had mobilized against unjust taxes.
The lack of a uniform currency was just one of the issues that contributed to the sense of crisis in the 1780s. Powerful leaders like Washington and Franklin helped push for a stronger federal government and a uniform currency. The delegates to the Philadelphia Convention in 1787, where the new Constitution was drafted, agreed to pursue sweeping changes to the central government, including the creation of a uniform currency.
The new Constitution, ratified in 1788, established a stronger central government with the power to regulate commerce and print money. It replaced the loose confederation of states with a more unified nation, and the lack of a uniform currency was addressed as the country moved towards economic unity and a stronger federal government.
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Frequently asked questions
The US government before the Constitution was governed by the Articles of Confederation, which provided for a loose alliance of states with a weak central government. The Confederation Congress had 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 main issues with the US government before the Constitution were economic and political chaos, disputes over territory, war pensions, taxation, and trade. There was also a lack of standard currency, and the government couldn't collect taxes effectively.
The key events that led to the creation of the US Constitution were the Revolutionary War, the Grand Convention of state delegates, and the Philadelphia Convention in 1787, where the Constitution was written and later ratified through state conventions.
The main concerns during the creation of the US Constitution were the balance of power between the states and the central government, racial hierarchy, and the protection of individual rights.
