USC - The First National Government Lesson
The First National Government Lesson
The first Constitution of the United States of America was called the Articles of Confederation. The Articles of Confederation were drafted by a committee appointed by the Second Continental Congress in July of 1776, and ratified in 1777. The Articles of Confederation created a unicameral, or single-house, Congress. It did NOT include an executive branch or a president. Also, there was no court system or judiciary. Each state had one representative in Congress, and the states elected their own representatives. Congress only had a few powers. They had the power to make war and peace, send and receive ambassadors, enter into treaties, raise and equip a navy, maintain an army by requesting troops from the states (They could NOT require states to send troops.), appoint military officers, fix standard weights and measures, coin money (not backed by silver and gold), regulate Indian affairs, establish post offices, and settle disputes between states. This system of government created many problems.
The Articles of Confederation Under a Unicameral Congress
- The Articles of Confederation created a loose confederation of states. States were considered independent and governed themselves.
- Congress did not have the authority to raise or collect taxes. The central government ended up bankrupt following the war and could not afford to raise an army.
- Congress did not have the power to regulate trade. This created conflict between the states and made it difficult for Congress to enter into trade agreements with other countries.
- Congress could not force people to obey the laws because they did not have a strong army. Most states refused to send men to serve in a national army.
- Laws had to be approved by 9 of the 13 states. This was incredibly difficult to achieve, so very few laws were passed.
- There was no mention of an executive branch or president to coordinate all of the plans that Congress came up with.
- There was no court system to enforce and interpret laws.
| Congressional Powers | Congressional Limits |
|---|---|
| Borrow (foreign) and coin money | No executive branch or president |
| Establish an army | No judiciary (courts) |
| Accept new states | Laws required 9 of 13 states to approve |
| Declare War | Currency or trade was not limited or regulated |
| Sign peace treaties | No authority to prevent states from conducting foreign affairs |
| Select military officials | No authority to tax |
| Create a postal system | No authority to raise national funds |
| Ask for money from states |
Why Did the People Want a Constitutional Convention?
Shay's Rebellion
Farmers in Massachusetts rebelled against the national government because they had served as soldiers in the American Revolution. However, they were never paid for their service. Daniel Shay led a revolt in an attempt to capture the United States' national weapons arsenal. The national government could not keep an army, so they had no way to stop the rebellion. People began to fear that rebellions could occur all over the country. Although Daniel Shay and the farmers were defeated, the rebellion prompted national leaders to call for a stronger national government, which led to the Constitutional Convention.
The Constitutional Convention began May 25, 1787, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The original purpose of the meeting was to revise the Articles of Confederation. Soon, though, the delegates to the Constitutional Convention realized a new constitution needed to be written. They agreed to conduct their actions in secret. Many famous Americans helped to write the U.S. Constitution. George Washington was present, as was Benjamin Franklin. James Madison was present and is often called the "Father of the Constitution".
Conflicts and Issues at the Constitutional Convention
Federalists favored ratification of the Constitution. They favored a powerful Federal government and argued that a Bill of Rights was not needed as federal powers were limited. John Jay, James Madison, and Alexander Hamilton wrote the "Federalist Papers" - urging ratification of the constitution.
Anti-federalists opposed ratification of the constitution. They wanted a weak federal government that wouldn't threaten state's rights. Anti-federalists also wanted a Bill of Rights to declare and protect the rights of the people.
In order to ratify the Constitution, Federalists promise the addition of a Bill of Rights. With this, Ratification succeeded and a new government was formed in 1789. James Madison drafted 10 amendments to the Constitution which become known as the Bill of Rights.
Conflicts and Issues at the Constitutional Convention
Watch the presentation below to learn about the conflicts and issues at the constitutional convention.
Download a transcript for this video here. Links to an external site.
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