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Strengths And Weaknesses Of The Articles Of Confederation

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The United States Constitution was ratified in response to the weaknesses present in the Articles of Confederation. The Articles of Confederation was the first constitution of the United States and it intentionally gave the central government very little power. The colonists had just escaped life under the British monarchy where they had no representation and no way to legally protest the way they were being treated. The colonists were forced to pay unfair taxes without representation, forced to house British soldiers, and many other things that they had no choice in. Because of this experience, the articles of confederation was drafted to make the central government weak and to protect the people from the government. Under the A.o.C. the central government couldn’t tax, raise an army, pass laws easily, or …show more content…

Perhaps the biggest weakness of the A.o.C. , the inability of the central government to tax, was rectified in the constitution. The government now had the ability to set and collect taxes which meant that they could make their own money. This led to the US being able to pay off debts both foreign and domestic like war debt and loans. When the constitution was being drafted the colonists still did not want one person or group to have all the power but they recognized the need for a leader so the Virginia plan was created. This plan proposed a government that had 3 branches with a series of checks and balances that made it so no one person or group had too much power. Under the A.o.C. 9/13 states had to be in agreement for a law to pass which was almost impossible so the constitution made it possible to pass laws. The constitution also granted the central government the ability to raise an army and declare war. A big focus of the constitution was to make it amenable and adaptable for an up and coming country which wasn’t possible with the articles of

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