The Supreme Power Under The 1777 Constitution

The Articles of Confederation, the first constitution of the United States, was adopted by the Continental Congress on November 15, 1777. The Articles established a league of friendship for the 13 sovereign and independent states, with each state retaining most of the power. This left the central government weak, with no power to control foreign policy or taxation. The Articles provided for a one-house legislature, a weak executive, and voting by state—flaws that would eventually lead to its failure. The central government had little power to settle disputes between states, leading to divisions and local rebellions that threatened to tear the country apart. As a result, nationalists led by James Madison advocated for a stronger federal government, and in 1787, the Constitutional Convention met in Philadelphia to address the shortcomings of the Articles. This resulted in the creation of three branches of government: the executive, legislative, and judicial, with power distributed among them to prevent its concentration in a single branch.

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The Articles of Confederation

The Articles provided for a one-house legislature, a weak executive, and voting by state. They also established a league of friendship for the 13 sovereign and independent states. The Articles were ratified by all 13 states and came into effect on March 1, 1781, remaining in force until 1789 when the present-day Constitution was adopted.

Due to these issues, the Articles were revised, and a new Constitution was signed in 1787, which remains in effect today.

State power

The Articles of Confederation, the United States' first constitution, was adopted by the Continental Congress on November 15, 1777. It established a "league of friendship" for the 13 sovereign and independent states, with each state retaining "every Power... which is not by this confederation expressly delegated to the United States".

The Articles of Confederation created a weak central government, leaving most of the power with the state governments. The central government had no power to tax, control foreign policy, or regulate commerce, and had little power to settle disputes between states. The Articles provided for a one-house legislature, with each state having one vote, and the legislative body was appointed by the state legislatures.

The weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation became apparent over time, leading to calls for a stronger central government. Nationalists, including James Madison, sought to strengthen the federal government and turn a series of regional commercial conferences into a national constitutional convention in 1787.

The new Constitution, signed in 1787, created a separation of powers with three branches of government: the executive, legislative, and judicial. This ensured that power would not be concentrated in a single branch. The Constitution also granted the federal government more power over money and taxes, allowing it to control interstate commerce and tax individuals.

In summary, under the 1777 Constitution, also known as the Articles of Confederation, the state governments retained most of the power, with a weak central government that lacked essential powers. The subsequent Constitution of 1787 redistributed powers, strengthening the central government and creating a system of checks and balances between the three branches.

Central government weakness

The Articles of Confederation, the first constitution of the United States, was adopted by the Continental Congress on November 15, 1777. This document established a “league of friendship” for the 13 sovereign and independent states. However, it also created a weak central government, leaving most of the power with the state governments.

One of the key weaknesses of the central government under the 1777 constitution was its lack of power to regulate commerce and taxation. The Articles of Confederation provided for a one-house legislature, a weak executive, and no national power of taxation. The central government had to rely on requesting money from the states, with little to no means of enforcement. This meant that the government could not effectively support a war effort, pay debts, or regulate commercial policy.

Another issue was the lack of a standard currency. The central government was unable to prevent states from producing their own money, contributing to economic instability. Additionally, the 1777 constitution provided for voting by state, with each state having one vote in Congress. This gave smaller states disproportionate influence and made it difficult to reach unanimous decisions.

The weaknesses of the central government under the 1777 constitution became increasingly apparent over time. Divisions among the states, local rebellions, and the government's inability to address internal conflicts threatened to undo the progress made during the Revolution. The central government also struggled to enforce the provisions of the 1783 Treaty of Paris, as it lacked the power to prevent states from pursuing their own independent policies.

Nationalists, led by figures such as James Madison, George Washington, and Alexander Hamilton, recognized the need for a stronger central government. They worked towards strengthening the federal government and eventually convened a national constitutional convention in Philadelphia in 1787 to address the shortcomings of the Articles of Confederation. This led to the creation of a new constitution, which established a more powerful central government with increased authority over taxation, commerce, and interstate relations.

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Voting by state

The Articles of Confederation, the United States' first constitution, were adopted by the Continental Congress on November 15, 1777. The Articles created a government in which the colonies—now states—retained most of the power, leaving the central government weak.

The Articles of Confederation also established a "league of friendship" for the 13 sovereign and independent states. Each state retained "every Power... which is not by this confederation expressly delegated to the United States." This meant that the central government had limited power to regulate commerce, tax, or settle disputes between states.

The weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation became apparent over time, and Nationalists led by James Madison, George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, and others began working towards strengthening the federal government. They believed that a strong central government was necessary to provide order and stability to the nation.

In 1787, the Constitutional Convention met in Philadelphia to address the shortcomings of the Articles of Confederation. The new Constitution, which went into effect in 1789, created a bicameral legislature: the House of Representatives, elected by popular vote, and the Senate, appointed by the state legislature. Each member of the new Congress was granted a vote, moving away from the state-by-state voting of the Articles of Confederation.

The need for a new constitution

The Articles of Confederation, the United States' first constitution, was adopted by the Continental Congress on November 15, 1777. It established a “league of friendship” for the 13 sovereign and independent states. However, the Articles of Confederation had several flaws that highlighted the need for a new constitution.

Firstly, the Articles provided for a weak central government, leaving most of the power with the state governments. This led to divisions among the states and even local rebellions, threatening to destroy the fruits of the Revolution. The central government lacked essential powers such as the ability to control foreign policy, regulate commerce, or tax. Without the ability to tax, the central government could not raise funds to pay debts, support a war effort, or perform other essential functions.

Secondly, the Articles provided for a one-house legislature, a weak executive branch, and no national power of taxation. This led to issues such as the lack of a standard currency and the inability of the central government to enforce provisions of treaties.

Thirdly, the Articles outlined a Congress with representation not based on population, with each state having one vote. This led to disputes over territory, war pensions, taxation, and trade, which threatened to tear the country apart.

Finally, the Articles did not provide sufficient authority to the national government to prevent states from pursuing their own independent policies, attempting to occupy disputed territories, or ignoring certain treaty provisions.

Due to these flaws, Nationalists led by James Madison, George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, and others began working towards strengthening the federal government and creating a new constitution. They turned a series of regional commercial conferences into a national constitutional convention in Philadelphia in 1787, which resulted in the creation of the new Constitution that remains in effect today.

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