Constitutional Convention Dbq Essay
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Introduction
The Constitutional Convention was called to order so that the Articles of Confederation could be amended. However, the Founders soon realized the Articles of Confederation provided an insufficient platform of which to erect necessary safeguards of democracy including, separation of powers, and federalism. Establishing a new constitution was not an easy feat. Many different clashing ideas would have to be weighed, measured, and agreed upon. In the end, Alexander Hamilton would reflect on the document, “For my own part, I sincerely esteem it a system, which, without the finger of God, never could have been suggested and agreed upon by such a diversity of interests.”[footnoteRef:1] [1: Ford, Paul Leicester, et al. Essays on the
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The initial lack of a Bill of Rights was the chief objection of the antifederalist[footnoteRef:8] The antifederalist were concerned over local control of civil liberties. However, Federalist insisted the because the Constitution gave the federal government only certain delegated powers, a Bill of Rights was not needed.[footnoteRef:9] Additionally, federalist argued that enumerating individual rights could be dangerous because it may be interpreted as a comprehensive list, thus forfeiting unmentioned rights.[footnoteRef:10] Eventually, the Bill of Rights was adopted and ratified. However, the Bill of Rights was not as comprehensive as Thomas Jefferson had proposed.[footnoteRef:11] For example, Jefferson proposal featured far more extensive language in his proposals for the right to trial by jury, provisions regarding standing armies, writs of habeas corpus, alongside other concerns.[footnoteRef:12] While the ambiguity of the Founding Fathers may be genius on the one hand, on the other hand, history has supported the need to “spell it out.” If the Founding Fathers were aware of how ignorant the citizens of 2017 would be regarding foundational concepts of the Constitution, one must wonder if they would have implemented additional safeguards even beyond the Bill of Rights. [8: Ibid.,349] …show more content…
Finding answers to these challenges was difficult due to the plethora of positions on various issues. The delegates were faced with issues surrounding popular and political sovereignty. The founders were faced with the challenge of how to ensure the people and states were properly represented in electoral politics. Proper representation would ensure the United States Government operated under the “consent of the governed.” Additionally, while the Constitution implied certain liberties, the Bill of Rights was created to protect civil liberties further. The Bill of rights contained the most important accomplishment of the convention-The Establishment Clause. The Establishment Clause was designed to protect religion from government infringement. It’s survival and proper interpretation, may directly correlate to the survival of the United
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827 Words | 4 PagesHence Federalists came up with the Bill of Rights as a way to get the Constitution ratified and for people to really see a needed change. The Bill Of Rights which lists specific prohibitions on governmental power, lead the Anti-Federalists to be less fearful of the new Constitution . This guaranteed that the people would still remain to have rights, but the strong central government that the country needed would have to be approved. The 1804 Map of the nation shows that even after the ratification of the United States Constitution there still continued to be “commotion” and dispute in the country.(Document 8) George Washington stated that the people should have a say in the nation and government and everything should not be left to the government to decide.(Document 3) Although George Washington was a Federalist many believed he showed a point of view that seemed to be Anti-Federalists. Many believed that The Bill of Rights needed to be changed and modified and a new document’s time to come into place.
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Bill Of Rights Dbq
314 Words | 2 PagesIn trying to figure out if the first congress wanted to adopt the constitution or not they realized that they did not want it to be a repeat of how the British violation of civil rights before and during the Revolution. The founding father seen that as an example of what not to do therefore they can focus on what would be better at the time for congress and United States. This is why the U.S. Bill of Rights was to be constructed in way to organized citizen’s actions. It was like giving a rule book to the people in protecting citizens therefore they feel protected by their government.
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672 Words | 3 PagesAfter the revolutionary war, the colonial people of the United States were in severe debt. According to the textbook Enduring Vision by Paul S. Boyer, et al. “The Massachusetts legislature, dominated by commercially minded elites, voted early in 1786 to pay off its revolutionary debt in three years” (Boyer, et al.). Many of the people, unable to pay within this timeframe were asked to pay their debts in “hard currency” (Boyer, et al.). With these high stakes, and with the inability to pay their debts, revolts broke out in protest of the common tax hikes of the period.
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494 Words | 2 PagesThe Articles of Confederation were a document seen as the “first” constitution of the United States. This document granted the new national government power to control the military, declare war, and create treaties between the states. However, the Articles had holes in it considering the government did not have the power to tax, create laws without at least nine states’ approval, or change the Articles of Confederation without a unanimous vote. This means that the country soon fell into debt and petty arguments between state, the new government had no control. It was time for a change.
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