Re: Why Did the Founding Fathers Create a Federal Government?

Gero — Fri, 01 Oct 2010 01:56:58 GMT

Overview of The Constitution (1781-1815)

After their victory in the American Revolution, America’s leaders were leery about establishing a powerful centralized government, fearful that such a government would only replace the tyranny of King George III with a new form of tyranny. As a result, the first U.S. constitution, the Articles of Confederation, created a decentralized new government. The Articles established the United States as a confederation of states—a system in which the states were largely independent but were bound together by a weak national congress.

Ultimately, the Articles of Confederation proved ineffective, giving Congress little real power over the states, no means to enforce its decisions, and, most critically, no power to levy taxes. As a result, the federal government was left at the mercy of the states, which often chose not to pay their taxes.

Sensing the need for change, delegates from nearly all the states met in 1787 to revise the Articles of Confederation but ended up drafting an entirely new document: the Constitution. The Constitution created a new government divided into three branches: legislative (Congress), executive (the president), and judicial (headed by the Supreme Court). After much debate, the delegates compromised on a two-house Congress, consisting of an upper house (Senate) with equal representation for each state, and a lower house (House of Representatives) with proportional representation based on population. Congress also was given new abilities to levy national taxes and control interstate commerce.

Although most states ratified the Constitution outright, some, especially New York, had reservations. In response, Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and James Madison argued the case for the Constitution in a series of essays called the Federalist Papers. These eighty-five essays are now regarded as some of the most important writings in American political thought.

However, many skeptics, or Anti-Federalists, remained unconvinced, believing that a stronger government would endanger the freedoms they had just won during the Revolution. As a compromise, the framers of the Constitution promised to add a series of amendments to guarantee important liberties. Sponsored by James Madison, the first ten amendments became known as the Bill of Rights. Their liberties secured, Anti-Federalists in the last remaining states grudgingly voted for the Constitution.

Problems Under the Articles

Congress proved unable to manage the country’s economic affairs under the Articles. Because most state currencies had become useless due to wartime inflation, Congress printed its own continental dollars to keep the economy alive, but these faltered as well. Congress also proved unable to raise enough money from the states, because the federal government had no way of forcing the states to pay taxes. Most states also ignored Congress’s attempts to resolve numerous interstate disputes that arose.

In addition, many Americans became fed up with their incompetent state legislatures and demanded debt relief and cheaper money. A few even revolted, as in Shays’s Rebellion in 1786–1787, which culminated in Daniel Shays leading 1,200 western Massachusetts farmers in an attack on the federal arsenal at Springfield. Although the rebellion was quickly dismissed, it convinced many American leaders that change was needed if the U.S. were to survive.

Re: Why Did the Founding Fathers Create a Federal Government?

limitgov — Fri, 01 Oct 2010 01:31:25 GMT

Psst. Over here.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federalist_Papers

P.S. Your schools have failed you."

can you just summarize what benefits they thought a federal government would have over the state governments that were already in place?

and how in the world were they able to sell it to the colonists? talk about a tough sale...

Re: Why Did the Founding Fathers Create a Federal Government?

Lagrange multiplier — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 21:51:55 GMT

limitgov:
Was there ever a reason given as to why they needed to create a federal government?

Uhm, dude.

Psst. Over here.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federalist_Papers

P.S. Your schools have failed you.

Why Did the Founding Fathers Create a Federal Government?

limitgov — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 21:50:14 GMT

State governments were already in place. What was the purpose of them creating a federal government?

Aside from creating many problems, what benefits did it have for them?

Was there ever a reason given as to why they needed to create a federal government?

History

Re: Why Did the Founding Fathers Create a Federal Government?

Re: Why Did the Founding Fathers Create a Federal Government?

Re: Why Did the Founding Fathers Create a Federal Government?

Why Did the Founding Fathers Create a Federal Government?