ipl-logo

How Has The Constitution Shaped America Essay

460 Words2 Pages

The Constitution shaped America into who we are today. It started with the Articles of Confederation. The Articles of Confederation was “the nation’s first constitution and was written to create a firm league of friendship between the thirteen states”(Crouse, Slide 5). Eleven years after the Declaration of Independence was adopted, the United States Constitution was created(Weatherman). After the United States finally won their independence from Great Britain, they spent their early years governed by the Articles of Confederation. In 1787, all states but one met to considered Changing the Articles of Confederation to meet their new rules and needs
In 1787 the Constitutional Convention was held to decide what they needed to change in the Articles …show more content…

Two Virginia delegates by the names, James Madison and Edmund Randolph created a new form of government and brought it with them to the Constitutional Convention to have everyone discuss it(Weatherman). They debated over at least 20 ideas including “that the legislative should consists of two branches, that a republican constitution should be guaranteed to each state and that provision should be made for the amendment of articles of union, whenever it seems necessary”(Luther).The Convention approved the Constitution, after much debate. After each of the states finally decided, the Constitution was ratified by all thirteen states(Weatherman). Amendments made it possible to change things in the Constitution. The nineteenth amendment in the United States Constitution gave women the right to vote(Nineteenth Amendment, page 1). In the mid 1800’s, leaders began speaking out for women’s rights and equality such as Lucretia Mott, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B. Anthony, and Lucy Stone. During the late 1860’s, many United States Congressmen started to think of an amendment they could make to gain women their suffrage. Senator Aaron Sargent proposed the women's right to vote amendment in 1878. “Sargent’s amendment failed to pass,but it was reintroduced in every session of

Show More
Related

Effects Of Improvements On The Articles Of Confederation

191 Words | 1 Pages

Before the U.S. Constitution there was the Articles of Confederation. The document could declare war, negotiate treaties, and control foreign affairs. It couldn’t enforce laws, tax, and raise its own army. What the Articles Of Confederation lacked was a strong central government. Alexander Hamilton called for a constitutional convention in 1786, and it took place in Philadelphia on May 14, 1787.

Read More

Essay On How Did The Constitution Guard Against Tyranny

768 Words | 4 Pages

The Constitution, written in May 1787 in Philadelphia, was a new constitution that replaced the Articles of Confederation which was not working at that time because it does not have a court system and the central government could not even force a state to pay taxes. 55 delegates from eleven states were called for a Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia to create a stronger government that can hold the new nation together. They were thinking to write a new constitution to guard against tyranny. Tyranny is defined as one individual who controls all the power which was the thing that the colonists were trying to avoid. The ways that the Constitution guarded against tyranny were by separation of powers, checks and balances, and the equality between large and small states.

Read More

Essay On How Does The Constitution Guard Against Tyrany

209 Words | 1 Pages

US Constitution Essay: How does the Constitution guard against Tyranny? “Imagine if the Constitution of the United States of America wasn’t even a thing.” There would be so much chaos happening in our country. So much back and forth movement of disagreements, war, people dying because of no homes, food, water, or a leader. Tyranny would then come up a lot if there were no Constitution.

Read More

Compare And Contrast The Virginians And The Confederation Government

728 Words | 3 Pages

This was their way of checking each other making them agree on any laws before passing them. This also gave the President the power to veto any acts of congress. This gave us the federal Structure of the government. The House of Representatives were elected by the people. On the 17th of September 1778 thirty nine delegates signed the Constitution though Ben Franklin said (“Thus I consent, Sir, to this Constitution, because I expect no better, and because I am not sure it is not the best”)

Read More

Constitutional Convention Dbq

398 Words | 2 Pages

The Constitutional Convention took place from May 25th, 1787 to September 17th, 1787 in the city of Philadelphia. The official purpose of the convention was to amend the articles of Confederation/ how the country was going to be governed. Although the convention had been called for revising the Articles of Confederation, two delegates (James Madison and Alexander Hamilton) wanted to make a totally new government. Seventy delegates from each original state were supposed to come to the Constitutional Convention, but only 55 out of the 70 arrived. The first two months of debating were only about the 15 points of the “Virginia Plan” that James Madison thought of to replace the Articles of Confederation.

Read More

Similarities Between The Articles Of Confederation And The Constitution

585 Words | 3 Pages

The United States has worked under two constitutions. Articles of Confederation was the first constitution in our nation. It was in effect from March 1st, 1781, after Maryland ratified it. Articles of Confederation was replaced by The Constitution on June 21, 1788, which was ratified by New Hampshire. The main principles behind the modern constitution were human rights, accountability, power separation, representative government, and independence of judiciary.

Read More

Ratification Of The Us Constitution Dbq Essay

827 Words | 4 Pages

The Constitution of the United States was written in 1787, but there was a grapple for its ratification that went on until about two decades after the ratification. Members of Congress believed that the first government of the United States or the Articles of Confederation, needed to be adjusted while others did not want anything to change. After the Revolutionary War, the people did not want a strong central government, because it reminded them too much of what they were trying to escape from. Under the Articles, each state had their own laws, and the need for a new Constitution was desired by many. The Constitution of 1787 created huge debates, arguments and splits in the nation that lasted for several year after its ratification between people who

Read More

Principles Of Checks And Balances

923 Words | 4 Pages

The United States Constitution, written in 1787, is one of the most influential documents ever created and has continued to stay relevant for over 200 years. The Constitution was proposed in order to replace the ineffective Articles of Confederation, which previously held the newly freed states together. The main goal of the Constitution was to unite the states together under a strong national government, outlined within the document. Between 1787 and 1788 when the Constitution what ratified, two main political groups arose with opinions in regards to the Constitution. They were the Federalists and the Anti Federalists.

Read More

Examples Of Constitutional Elasticity

1433 Words | 6 Pages

Constitution guarantees specific basic rights for America’s citizens and it also established America’s national government and fundamental laws (History.com Staff). The document was signed on September 17, 1787, by the delegates of the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia. The first governing document of the United States was known as the Articles of Confederation; a document that made the national government very weak and American states act independently. The Constitution was published to replace the Articles of Confederation making a much stronger federal government with three different branches: the executive branch, the legislative branch, the judicial branch and a system of checks and balances to guarantee no single branch obtained too much power. The Constitution of the United States remains the governing document of the United States, even though many are attempting to alter or even abolish laws within the document, according to History Staff.

Read More

Compare And Contrast The Articles Of Confederation And The Constitution

492 Words | 2 Pages

The Articles of Confederation and the Constitution are two important documents in American history that established the foundation for the current system of government in the United States. While both documents aimed to establish a functioning government, they differ greatly in their approach to governance and the protection of individual liberties. The Articles of Confederation, adopted in 1777, were the first constitution of the United States and provided a framework for a loose confederation of states. Under the Articles, the central government was relatively weak and had limited powers, with the states retaining most of the power. The government had no power to regulate commerce, levy taxes, or enforce laws.

Read More

Issues Under The Articles Of Confederation

398 Words | 2 Pages

In 1777, the Continental Congress completed the first written American constitution, the Articles of Confederation. The Articles of Confederation was created to form an alliance between the 13 colonies. It was working out well in the beginning until serious problems started to appear. Those were money problems and most importantly, a weak government. One issue the Articles of Confederation had, was the major money issues inflicted upon the union which harmed the coherency of our country.

Read More

Essay On Articles Of Confederation

477 Words | 2 Pages

In 1785, a few delegates met to to discuss issues America was facing under the Articles of Confederation and by 1787, 55 delegates from twelve states met. They decided to hold a convention to create a new form of government which they called The Federal Constitution. (Keene,

Read More

DBQ Essay: The United States Constitution

1159 Words | 5 Pages

DBQ Essay The United States Constitution is a document that or founding fathers made in order to replace the failing Articles of Confederation (A of C). Under the Constitution, the current government and states don’t have the problems they faced when the A of C was in action. The Constitution was created in 1788, and held an idea that the whole nation was nervous about. This idea was a strong national government, and the Federalist assured the people that this new government would work. The framers of the Constitution decided to give more power to the Federal government rather than the state governments because the A of C had many problems, there was a need for the layout of new government, rights, and laws, and there was a need for the Federal

Read More

Strengths And Weaknesses Of The Articles Of Confederation

724 Words | 3 Pages

The Articles of Confederation was an agreement among the thirteen original states of the United States that served as the first constitution. The Articles had first been introduced by Richard Henry Lee in the Second Continental Congress. Although the Articles of Confederation has made its contributions throughout history, the Articles, however, did not last very long and had been proven inadequate from the very start. I agree with this statement based on the examples and analysis of the Constitution I will soon provide. The Articles of Confederation were written during a time when the American people feared a strong national government.

Read More

Historical Influences Of The Constitution Essay

1897 Words | 8 Pages

What are the Historical Influences of United States Constitution? It is known that people all over the world have come to the United States, to create a better life for their families and themselves. The United States is known for having the best form of government for people to be included and have a say in their beliefs. What many people do not know is, what influenced the United States Constitution and the founding fathers in writing.

Read More

More about How Has The Constitution Shaped America Essay

Related Topics

Open Document