Essay on Articles of Confederation Remedied by The...

The year of 1776 was a time of revolution, independence, and patriotism. American colonists had severed their umbilical cord to the Mother Country and declared themselves â€Å"Free and Independent States†.1 The chains of monarchy had been thrown off and a new government was formed. Shying away from a totalitarian government, the Second Continental Congress drafted a document called the Articles of Confederation which established a loose union of the states. It was an attempt at self-government that ended in failure. The Articles of Confederation had many defects which included a weak central government that lacked the power to tax, regulate trade, required equal representation and a unanimous vote to amend the Articles, and had only a†¦show more content†¦The Articles of Confederation ensured that â€Å"Each state retains its sovereignty, freedom, and independence, and every power, jurisdiction, and right, which is not by this Confederation expressly delegated to the United States, in Congress assembled.† Because of the sovereignty granted to them, states were able to erect protectionist trade barriers between other states. In other words, a state could heavily tax a commodity that was coming from outside the state while it would not tax that same commodity produced within the state. This made it difficult for outside states to compete with local producers. Alexander Hamilton noted that â€Å"The interfering and unneighborly regulations of some States... [were] contrary to the true spirit of the union.†4 Another problem was that the national government could not place a tariff on imported goods. This made it hard for Americans to compete with the prices of foreign traders. The Constitution fixed this by saying â€Å"The Congress shall have Power to Regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several States...†5 States, regardless of population, had equal representation in Congress under the Articles of Confederation. They each received one vote.6 This was done in part because smaller states like Delaware hoped to protect their states rights.7 They feared that large states likeShow MoreRelatedThe Articles of Confederation Essay973 Words   |  4 PagesFor over two-hundred years the United States has thrived under the Constitution. It has been the backbone of this country while growing from an infant into an adult. Although, the Constitution was instrumental in the maturation of America it was not the first form of government in this country. Ten years before the Constitutional Convention, Washington’s presidency, or the three branches of government; the Articles of Confederation were created. This fledgling government, proposed in 1777, was doomedRead MoreThe Constitution And The Articles Of Confederation953 Words   |  4 PagesThe first video â€Å"The Constitution Project† – creating a constitution of the founding fathers creating and signing the c onstitution. This is a large piece of history which because of them, the constitution and the articles of confederation are what make makes America what it is today, unified. The major learning theme of this video is to understanding what and how these states came together, taxation, laws, and the people behind it. George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and James Madison to name aRead MoreMark Twain Advice to Youth Summary5237 Words   |  21 PagesThe Origins of the Constitution Gordon S. Wood, Brown University When did the story of the Constitution begin? Some might say it ABOUT THE began over 2500 years ago in the city-states of ancient Greece. AUTHOR Others might place its beginnings nearly three-quarters of a millennium back in the fields of Runnymede. Still others might say Gordon S. Wood, is professor of history at the Constitution had its origins three centuries or so ago during Brown University, and the the tumultuous years of theRead MoreSlavery, The Shadow Of Americas Past1613 Words   |  7 Pagesunder the articles of confederation, the widely different North and South would not have been able to function without each other. Also, some southerners believed that the bible sanctioned slavery, while others thought that they were just too dependent on the slave labor to let it go. The subject of slavery was always the elephant in the room. It was rarely talked about and when it was talked about, it was of the utmost secrecy. When the founding fathers were writing up the constitution they subjectRead MoreFederalism Essay1956 Words   |  8 PagesFederalism The Constitution of the United States was drafted at a time when our country was in dire need of many answers to political and social questions. In addition to many other things, the drafters of the Constitution were concerned with solidifying our central government and the Constitution was intended to provide a solid structure from which our burgeoning nation could grow. The Constitution gave explicit powers to the federal government and provided the states with the Tenth AmendmentRead MoreGun Free School Zone Essays1805 Words   |  8 Pages2010). One of the most important sections of Article I is section 8. It carefully lists the powers the Framers wished the new Congress to possess. These specified or enumerated powers contain many key provisions that had been denied to the Continental Congress under the Articles of Confederation. For example, one of the major weaknesses of the Articles was Congress’s lack of authority to deal with trade wars. The Constitution remedied this problem by authorizing Congress to â€Å"regulate CommerceRead MoreThe Contract Law Of The United States3076 Words   |  13 Pagescontracts. An agreement without enforceability leaves the parties vulnerable to mistakes, dishonesty, changes of mind, illegality. Also, a contract means that the people can have reliability in their relations. People can have their problems remedied and damages made up for. Contract enforcement makes a more stable platform for businesses, making them more likely to do business and helping the economy, whi ch is manufacturing based. The terms under which products will be sold or the manner inRead MoreEssay on Mixed Member Proportional in Canada2615 Words   |  11 Pagesof fields, such as the esteemed political scientist Dr. Paul Nesbitt-Larking, took on the task of analyzing possible paths of electoral reform. It concluded that Canada’s political, cultural and economic reality has changed substantially since Confederation, and that adding an element of proportionality to its electoral system would help to reflect these changes (Law Commission xix). The system that the Law Commission ultimately recommended was the mixed-member proportional electoral system. Read MoreThe Generation Of The United States4076 Words   |  17 Pageswho would oversee the new population and unify the 13 sovereign states. 5) Critics of the Constitutional Convention highlight many of the same faults in the convention. One of these criticisms is that the convention was only to revise the Articles of Confederation not to replace them. In addition, the meetings of the Convention were held in secrecy and the matters discussed stayed private from majority of the average citizens. The reason behind this was because the fifty-five delegates were a groupRead MoreCommercial Liens - a Potent Weapon Essay32374 Words   |  130 PagesThe Commercial Lien Strategy - Background †¢ Some Examples of the Strategy †¢ The Power Of Commercial Liens Chapter 2 †¢ Theory of Commercial Lien Strategy †¢ Introduction †¢ The Commercial Affidavit Process †¢ Constitutions as Enforceable Contracts †¢ Bonding of Government Officials Chapter 3 †¢ Basic Concepts of Liens †¢ Lien - Definition †¢ Different Types of Liens †¢ Comparisons †¢ Liens vs. Levies Chapter 4 †¢ Procedure