The Articles of Confederation was the earliest form of government of the newly independent British colonies. The United States Constitution replaced the Articles of Confederation. On July 4, 1776, the Second Continental Congress issued the Declaration of Independence. The document proclaimed the separation of the American colonies from Great Britain and formally began the American Revolution. The new nation then had to create a new government to replace the monarchy it was trying to overthrow. After much debate, the Americans adopted the Articles of Confederation. This document established a very weak national government that consisted of a one-house legislature known as the Confederation Congress. The Congress had the power to declare war, sign treaties, and settle disputes between the states. It could also borrow or print money and could ask for funds from individual states, which rarely provided the requested money to the federal government. The Americans were so fearful of a strong, centralized government that they refused to give their Congress the power to tax. The Articles of Confederation were first adopted by the Second Continental Congress on November 1, 1777, and were given final ratification on March 1, 1781. The Second Continental Congress became the Congress of the Confederation. This government was then in effect from 1781 until 1788. In 1783, the Americans secured their independence from Great Britain with the Treaty of Paris (1783). They immediately began to build a new nation. Among the Confederation Congress' successes was passage of the Northwest Ordinance, which established the Northwest Territory. Still, the Confederation Congress faced many difficulties, primarily due to the weak nature of the national government. Without having the ability to tax, the federal government could not pay for a military. This was an especially important issue for people living in the Northwest Territory. As thousands of Americans moved into the area, Native Americans struggled to stop them. Unable to pay for an army, the government could not protect its citizens. To solve this and other problems, a Constitutional Convention took place in the summer of 1787. Called together to revise the Articles of Confederation the delegates decided that a new and stronger Constitution was needed. The federal government now had the power to tax, and its provisions were to be the supreme law of the land. Fearing that one person or faction might be able to gain control of the government, the drafters divided the government's powers among three separate branches -- the legislative branch, the executive branch, and the judicial branch. Each branch had checks and balances on the powers of the other two. The Constitution created the United States in the form in which it still exists today. See Also
by Clarissa Sanders, Director of Research & Collections On November 15, 1777 the Continental Congress adopted the Articles of Confederation, the first constitution of the new nation. The Articles created a government in which the colonies - now states - retained most of the power. This left the central government weak, without essential powers like the ability to control foreign policy or to tax. In 1786, a group of western Massachusetts residents, led by former Continental Army Captain, Daniel Shay, rebelled because of the state’s high taxes and wartime debt. This event made it apparent that the federal government established by the Articles of Confederation was unable to address internal rebellions because it did not have the funds nor the military power to do so. In May 1787, the Constitutional Convention met in Philadelphia to address the shortcomings of the Articles. In September, the Constitution was born.
This photograph depicts Independence Hall. This building served as the setting for many important moments in American history - such as the signing of the Declaration of Independence and the ratification of the Articles of the Confederation. Just ten years after the creation of the Articles of Confederation, the United States adopted a new constitution that was significantly different from its predecessor. One of the most significant changes between the Articles of Confederation and Constitution was the creation of the three branches of government: the executive, legislative, and judicial. This separation of powers ensured that power would not be concentrated in one particular branch. Under the Articles of Confederation, there was no executive or judicial branch, and the legislative body was a single body appointed by the state legislatures. The Constitution created a bicameral legislature: the House of Representatives, elected by the popular vote; and the Senate, still appointed by the state legislature. Each member of the new Congress was granted a vote, while under the Articles each state was granted a singular vote. Members of Congress under the Articles served one year terms with term limits, while the Constitution made terms two years for Representatives and six years for Senators, with no term limits.
This painting entitled, "Scene at the Signing of the Constitution of the United States" was painted by Chandler Christy in 1940. It depicts George Washington, president of the convention, standing on a platform in room full of delegates. They are in Independence Hall. The Constitution also gave the federal government more power over money and taxes. The new system of government allowed Congress to control interstate commerce and barred states from creating their own coined money. It also granted the federal government the power to tax individuals. The Articles of Confederation were written when rhetoric such as “Taxation without Representation” filled the political atmosphere. This meant that the Articles granted the central government no power to tax, but instead had to request money from the states, with little to no ways to enforce it. Without the ability to tax, the central government could not do essential taxes such as pay debts. Taxation increased the power of the federal government because it gave the new government the ability to raise and support the military, to pay Congress, and to fund its other functions. Ultimately, the largest difference between America’s two governing documents is in that the Articles sovereignty resided in the states, and the Constitution was declared the law of the land when it was ratified which significantly increased the power of the federal government. The Articles were seen as stagnant, uneasily changed, and ineffective. The Constitution was created to be a living document, a document that can be amended, to meet the needs of a growing and changed nation. Click here to read the Constitution. Click here to read the Articles of Confederation.
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