Eleanor Finch
The delegates of the Constitutional Convention of 1787 assembled in Philadelphia with the initial intention of revising the Articles of Confederation, which was America's first constitution. However, the delegates, including James Madison and Alexander Hamilton, soon decided to completely redesign the government, creating a powerful central government with a series of checks and balances by dividing federal authority between the Legislative, Judicial, and Executive branches. The new Constitution addressed the weaknesses of the central government under the Articles of Confederation, particularly in conducting foreign relations, and provided a framework for the US government that has endured and been emulated worldwide.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Weak central government | The Articles of Confederation created a weak central government that lacked the authority to regulate trade and conduct foreign policy. |
| State sovereignty | The Articles of Confederation treated states as independent, sovereign countries, leading to disputes over territory, taxation, and trade. |
| Financial crisis | The confederation government faced a financial crisis due to debts from the Revolutionary War and competition from British importers and manufacturers. |
| Social issues | Delegates had differing views on slavery, with some wanting to preserve it and others wanting to abolish it. |
| Ineffective Congress | The Confederation Congress was bogged down by paperwork and unable to effectively pass or enforce laws. |
| Lack of enforcement powers | The Articles of Confederation gave Congress the power to make rules and request funds but no enforcement powers. |
| Ratification challenges | Some states opposed the Constitution due to a lack of protection for rights like freedom of speech, religion, and press. |
| Compromises | Delegates crafted compromises, such as the Connecticut Compromise, to balance representation in the House and Senate based on population and equal state representation. |
| Checks and balances | The new Constitution established a system of checks and balances by dividing federal authority between the Legislative, Judicial, and Executive branches. |
| Stronger central government | The new Constitution created a stronger central government with more specific powers, including conducting foreign relations. |
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What You'll Learn
The Articles of Confederation were inadequate
Secondly, the Articles of Confederation resulted in a weak central government that struggled to conduct foreign policy effectively. For instance, the Confederation Congress lacked the authority to regulate trade with Britain, which was detrimental to American importers and manufacturers. Additionally, the Spanish government barred American ships from navigating the Mississippi River, and the Confederation Congress was unable to address this issue.
Thirdly, the Articles of Confederation did not provide an effective mechanism for resolving disputes between the states. The lack of a strong central authority led to states acting more like independent, sovereign countries, which created challenges in maintaining national unity.
Moreover, the Articles of Confederation did not adequately address the issue of slavery. While slavery was in decline in 1787, it remained a significant part of the social and economic fabric in several states represented in the Convention. The delegates' quest for compromise on this issue led to the enshrining of slavery within the new Constitution, contradicting the core values of liberty and equality articulated in the Declaration of Independence.
Finally, the Articles of Confederation lacked a clear structure for the executive branch of government. While the establishment of an executive branch was proposed to handle routine paperwork, the Articles did not specify the powers and responsibilities of this branch, leading to confusion and inefficiency in governance.
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The central government was weak
The central government under the Articles of Confederation was weak, and this weakness manifested in several ways. Firstly, the Confederation Congress lacked the power to enforce rules and request funds from the states. It couldn't regulate commerce, print money, or effectively manage disputes between states over territory, war pensions, taxation, and trade. This lack of regulatory and enforcement power threatened to tear the young country apart.
Secondly, the Articles of Confederation resulted in a weak presidency and a strong legislature. The federal government faced challenges in conducting foreign policy due to its inability to pass or enforce laws. For example, the Confederation Congress couldn't regulate trade with British subjects after the American War of Independence, leading to British traders flooding U.S. markets with goods that harmed American importers and manufacturers.
The lack of a strong central government also hindered the country's ability to conduct foreign relations effectively. The Spanish government, for instance, barred American ships from navigating the Mississippi River, and the Confederation Congress was unable to address this issue.
The delegates at the Constitutional Convention of 1787 recognized these weaknesses and sought to create a new frame of government with a more powerful central government. They wanted to establish a federal government with specific powers, including the ability to conduct relations with foreign governments and regulate interstate trade.
The delegates' commitment to creating a stronger central government was driven by their desire to ensure the country's stability and address the challenges it faced. They understood that a weak central government could lead to chaos and potentially threaten the country's existence.
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State disputes threatened to tear the country apart
The United States Constitution was ratified in 1789, but the machinery of the state had yet to be tested. The Constitution emerged from the need to address the problems of a weak central government that existed under the Articles of Confederation. 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, couldn't regulate commerce, or print money.
The states' disputes over territory, war pensions, taxation, and trade threatened to tear the young country apart. The Confederation Congress lacked the authority to regulate trade, and intrastate trade was hampered by states' attempts to impose import duties on goods from other states. The Spanish government, which controlled New Orleans, also barred American ships from navigating the Mississippi River.
The delegates to the Constitutional Convention created a model of government that relied on a series of checks and balances by dividing federal authority between the Legislative, Judicial, and Executive branches. The delegates, representing wildly different interests and views, crafted compromises to address these issues. They created a powerful central government, wary of centralized power, and loyal to their states.
The delegates also disagreed on how to elect the president, with some supporting popular election and others wanting electors chosen by state legislatures or the people of their states. The delegates eventually agreed to a compromise, with the president elected by a group of electors, though this was not their preferred choice.
The delegates' commitment to principles of equality was limited, and they supported the imposition of property qualifications for voters. The issue of slavery was a significant point of contention, with delegates exacerbating the contradiction between the core values of liberty and equality. They ultimately enshrined slavery within the new Constitution, agreeing to count enslaved Africans as three-fifths of a person.
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The delegates were committed to principles of equality
The delegates of the Constitutional Convention of 1787 were committed to principles of equality, as articulated in the Declaration of Independence. However, this commitment was limited, particularly when it came to voting rights and the issue of slavery. Most delegates supported property qualifications for voters, and the institution of slavery was ultimately enshrined in the new Constitution.
The delegates' commitment to equality was tested by the issue of congressional representation. There was fierce debate over whether representation should be based on population or divided equally among the states. The framers eventually compromised by giving each state one representative for every 30,000 people in the House of Representatives and two representatives in the Senate.
The delegates were also concerned with ensuring equal representation in the Senate, which was intended to be smaller and more selective than the lower house. They unanimously decided that state legislatures would choose senators, with members drawn from the most intelligent and virtuous citizens. This decision was made to curb the excesses of a democratically elected lower house.
The issue of slavery was a significant challenge for the delegates, as it contradicted the core values of liberty and equality on which America had declared its independence. By agreeing to count enslaved Africans as three-fifths of a person and allowing the slave trade to continue until 1808, the delegates exacerbated the contradiction between their stated commitment to equality and the reality of slavery's entrenchment in American society.
Overall, while the delegates of the Constitutional Convention were committed to principles of equality in theory, the implementation of these principles was complex and often fell short, particularly in the areas of voting rights and slavery.
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The delegates wanted to create a powerful central government
The delegates to the Constitutional Convention created a model of government that relied on a series of checks and balances by dividing federal authority between the Legislative, Judicial, and Executive branches. They also wanted to establish a federal government with more specific powers, including those related to conducting relations with foreign governments. The Confederation Congress lacked the authority to regulate trade with other countries, and individual states' attempts to impose import duties on goods from other states further hampered interstate trade.
The delegates were also committed to principles of equality as articulated in the Declaration of Independence. However, this commitment was limited, and most delegates supported the imposition of property qualifications for voters in their individual states. The delegates also wanted to protect the independence of the executive branch, which is why they initially proposed that the president should serve a lifelong term "during good behaviour". This proposal was rejected as being too close to monarchy, and the delegates eventually agreed that the method of removing an unfit president would be legislative impeachment.
The delegates also wanted to address the problems of the weak central government that existed under the Articles of Confederation. They sought to create a new frame of government rather than revise the existing one. They realized that a stronger, more centralized government was necessary for future stability.
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Frequently asked questions
The Constitutional Convention was assembled in Philadelphia in 1787 to revise the Articles of Confederation, which was America's first constitution.
The Articles of Confederation 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 states’ disputes over territory, war pensions, taxation, and trade threatened to tear the young country apart.
Some of the key issues debated during the convention included congressional representation, the role and powers of the president, and the question of slavery.
The delegates compromised by agreeing to the Connecticut Compromise, which gave each state one representative for every 30,000 people in the House of Representatives and equal representation in the Senate.
The delegates created a new constitution that established a federal government with more specific powers, including the power to conduct foreign relations. The new constitution was signed by 38 delegates on September 17, 1787, and came into effect in 1789 after being ratified by 9 of the 13 states.
