The Articles of Confederation, which was the United States ' first constitution and served from 1781 to 1789, did a poor job as the foundation for the country and quickly dissatisfied many citizens. Americans believed that it was disjointed and poor in handling economic problems. More than anything, they realized in light of Shay 's Rebellion that it was powerless against such events. They concluded that the central government needed to be stronger, particularly in its ability to tax, if the nation was to survive.
In 1787, fifty-five state representatives met in Philadelphia as the Constitutional Convention in order to draft the new Constitution. Here it was decided that the power of government should not come exclusively from the national …show more content…
One reason behind a weak national government with the Articles of Confederation was that Americans wanted to avoid a tyranny such as the one that ruined their relationship with the British. However, they made the central government too weak, so much so that it held little power and authority over the states and each state resembled an independent nation. Thus, the purpose of the Constitution was to unite the country while protecting its citizens from …show more content…
They supported the constitution and had the support of two of the most renown and respected men in America: Benjamin Franklin and George Washington. Their critics, labeled by the Federalists as 'Antifederalists, ' had the support of distinguished leaders from the Revolution, such as Patrick Henry and Samuel Adams, and also proposed serious and intelligent arguments. The Antifederalists believed that they defended the true principles of the Constitution, as they opposed the decision to have the Constitution increase taxes, weaken state power, wield too much power, treat citizens unequally, and lack a bill of rights.
The Federalists had in their ranks not only the aforementioned influential leaders, but also the best philosophers of their era: Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay. In order to promote the ratification of the Constitution, they took upon a shared alias of "Publius" and wrote a series of essays. These essays, which explained the purpose behind and virtues of the Constitution, were published in newspapers throughout the country. Eventually, they were compiled and re-published as a book, and are today dubbed The Federalist
In 1787, fifty-five state representatives met in Philadelphia as the Constitutional Convention in order to draft the new Constitution. Here it was decided that the power of government should not come exclusively from the national …show more content…
One reason behind a weak national government with the Articles of Confederation was that Americans wanted to avoid a tyranny such as the one that ruined their relationship with the British. However, they made the central government too weak, so much so that it held little power and authority over the states and each state resembled an independent nation. Thus, the purpose of the Constitution was to unite the country while protecting its citizens from …show more content…
They supported the constitution and had the support of two of the most renown and respected men in America: Benjamin Franklin and George Washington. Their critics, labeled by the Federalists as 'Antifederalists, ' had the support of distinguished leaders from the Revolution, such as Patrick Henry and Samuel Adams, and also proposed serious and intelligent arguments. The Antifederalists believed that they defended the true principles of the Constitution, as they opposed the decision to have the Constitution increase taxes, weaken state power, wield too much power, treat citizens unequally, and lack a bill of rights.
The Federalists had in their ranks not only the aforementioned influential leaders, but also the best philosophers of their era: Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay. In order to promote the ratification of the Constitution, they took upon a shared alias of "Publius" and wrote a series of essays. These essays, which explained the purpose behind and virtues of the Constitution, were published in newspapers throughout the country. Eventually, they were compiled and re-published as a book, and are today dubbed The Federalist