Why was the constitution so powerful in the United States?
Wary about centralized power and loyal to their states, they created a powerful central government. Representing wildly different interests and views, they crafted compromises. It stands today as one of the longest-lived and most emulated constitutions in the world.
Why did the framers of the Constitution write the Constitution?
They designed our Constitution to endure. They sought not only to address the specific challenges facing the nation during their lifetimes, but to establish the foundational principles that would sustain and guide the new nation into an uncertain future. The text of the Constitution reflects this vision.
How did the founders ratify the Constitution?
It stands today as one of the longest-lived and most emulated constitutions in the world. The founders set the terms for ratifying the Constitution. They 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.
What powers did the Articles of Confederation give the Congress?
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.
What did the founders do to the Constitution?
Ratification. The founders set the terms for ratifying the Constitution. They 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.
What was Alexander Hamilton's main goal in the Articles of Confederation?
Alexander Hamilton helped convince Congress to organize a Grand Convention of state delegates to work on revising the Articles of Confederation . Enlarge.
How many representatives did the Framers compromise?
The framers compromised by giving each state one representative for every 30,000 people in the House of Representatives and two representatives in the Senate. They agreed to count enslaved Africans as three-fifths of a person. Slavery itself was a thorny question that threatened to derail the Union.
What were the concerns about the Articles of Confederation?
Just a few years after the Revolutionary War, James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and George Washington feared their young country was on the brink of collapse. America’s first constitution, the Articles of Confederation, gave the Confederation Congress the power to make rules and request funds from ...
When was the Constitutional Convention?
The Constitutional Convention assembled in Philadelphia in May of 1787 . The delegates shuttered the windows of the State House and swore secrecy so they could speak freely. Although they had gathered to revise the Articles of Confederation, by mid-June they had decided to completely redesign the government. There was little agreement about what form it would take.
How many articles were written in the Constitution?
Near the end of the convention, a Committee of Style and Arrangement kneaded it into its final form, condensing 23 articles into seven in less than four days.
Which plan struck closer to the Articles of Confederation?
The New Jersey Plan struck closer to the Articles of Confederation.
What would the Constitution do?
The Constitution would balance the influence of groups who attempt to bend the government to serve their own will at the expense of others, limit national authority and preserve liberty, etc.
What did Antifederalists think about the Constitution?
Antifederalists thought representative government could only exist in small territory and the Constitution lacked a bill of rights.
Who wrote the series of essays to promote the Constitution?
The series of essays written by Hamilton, Madison, and Jay to promote the Constitution.
Why did farmers rebel in Massachusetts?
In 1786, a group of Massachusetts farmers rebelled because they lost their land. The farmers attacked the courthouses to prevent judges from foreclosing on farms.
What was the work of the Framers centered around?
Much of the work of the Framers centered around the proposals that had been set out in
What is the power divided between?
Power is divided between a central government and local governments.
Answer
The government couldn’t put down this rebellion, it was a local militia that had to. Shows how weak they were compared the state governments
New questions in History
Why were tax laws like the Stamp Act, Sugar Act, and Townshend Acts passed by England?
Connecticut
A former state attorney, Ellsworth was a delegate to the Continental Congress during the Revolutionary War. He was instrumental in forging the Connecticut Compromise, an agreement between states with different populations on how congressional representation would be assigned.
Delaware
A former lawyer and state assemblyman, Bassett was elected to the US Senate in 1789. After his term as a senator, he became a judge in the Delaware Court of Common Pleas until 1799. He then served as governor of Delaware until 1801. In 1801, he served as a Federal Circuit Court judge before retiring from public office.
Georgia
A former lawyer, Baldwin founded the University of Georgia. He served as a state assemblyman, a federal congressman, and a federal senator, becoming President pro tempore in 1801 and 1802. He remained a senator until his death in 1807.
Maryland
A Roman Catholic and signer of the Articles of Confederation as well as the Constitution, Daniel Caroll was a state senator in Maryland prior to the convention. He argued that the president should be appointed by the people, not the legislature.
Massachusetts
After the convention, Gerry was Vice President under James Madison. While governor of Massachusetts, Gerry’s legislature created creatively drawn electoral districts, spawning the phrase “gerrymandering” to refer to similar practices by other politicians. Gerry died as Vice President.
New Hampshire
An officer during the Revolutionary War, Gilman served in the Continental Congress as a representative for New Hampshire. He served as a federal congressman for four terms after the Constitution was ratified. After a handful of other political offices, he became a federal senator until his death.
New Jersey
During the constitutional convention, Brearley served as the chairman of the Committee on Postponed Parts, which examined many of the most contentious and important parts of the constitution. Brearley became a federal district judge after the constitution was ratified. He died in office.
Concern About The Articles of Confederation
The Constitutional Convention
- The Constitutional Convention assembled in Philadelphia in May of 1787. The delegates shuttered the windows of the State House and swore secrecy so they could speak freely. Although they had gathered to revise the Articles of Confederation, by mid-June they had decided to completely redesign the government. There was little agreement about what form it would take. One of the f…
Writing The Constitution
- After three hot summer months of equally heated debate, the delegates appointed a Committee of Detail to put its decisions in writing. Near the end of the convention, a Committee of Style and Arrangement kneaded it into its final form, condensing 23 articles into seven in less than four days. On September 17, 1787, 38 delegates signed the Constitution. George Reed signed for Joh…
Ratification
- The founders set the terms for ratifying the Constitution. They 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. Ratification by 9 of the 13 states enacted the new government. But at the time, only 6 of 13...