Question
THE ARTICLES OF CONFEDERATION: AMERICA’S FIRST SYSTEM
Immediately after winning the American Revolution, Americans were tasked with a new challenge — forming a government. Early Americans were weary at the possibility that one leader could take too much power over everyone else. In addition, democracy, or the idea of a republic, had not been seen for nearly two thousand years.
As such, Americans created the ARTICLES OF CONFEDERATION — a governing system that allowed all 13 states to remain independent from each other without any head of state or national court system. This means that the system of checks and balances wasn't there at the time. It also meant that there was no executive branch to act as the glue keeping the states together as one nation.
America under this system was led by Congress, which had a representative from each of the 13 states. Nine ‘yea’ votes were needed to pass a law. The problem with this system was that Congress didn’t have the power to collect taxes from the states. Since America borrowed a lot of money from France and the Netherlands, America wasn’t generating any money to pay them back — and also didn’t have any money to build the nation it had fought so hard to establish.
An emergency meeting was held in 1787 to address the problems of this new government. This particular meeting was called the CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION. There, the Constitution we still use today was created, which created three branches of government and provided for a president. As of today, the US Constitution is the oldest functioning constitution in the world.
SOURCE: Public Domain text.
What were the Articles of Confederation?
Who was the head of state under the Articles of Confederation?
Explain the problems Americans faced under the Articles of Confederation.
What was the Constitutional Convention of 1787? What was accomplished there?
Immediately after winning the American Revolution, Americans were tasked with a new challenge — forming a government. Early Americans were weary at the possibility that one leader could take too much power over everyone else. In addition, democracy, or the idea of a republic, had not been seen for nearly two thousand years.
As such, Americans created the ARTICLES OF CONFEDERATION — a governing system that allowed all 13 states to remain independent from each other without any head of state or national court system. This means that the system of checks and balances wasn't there at the time. It also meant that there was no executive branch to act as the glue keeping the states together as one nation.
America under this system was led by Congress, which had a representative from each of the 13 states. Nine ‘yea’ votes were needed to pass a law. The problem with this system was that Congress didn’t have the power to collect taxes from the states. Since America borrowed a lot of money from France and the Netherlands, America wasn’t generating any money to pay them back — and also didn’t have any money to build the nation it had fought so hard to establish.
An emergency meeting was held in 1787 to address the problems of this new government. This particular meeting was called the CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION. There, the Constitution we still use today was created, which created three branches of government and provided for a president. As of today, the US Constitution is the oldest functioning constitution in the world.
SOURCE: Public Domain text.
What were the Articles of Confederation?
Who was the head of state under the Articles of Confederation?
Explain the problems Americans faced under the Articles of Confederation.
What was the Constitutional Convention of 1787? What was accomplished there?
Answers
GPT-4o mini
**What were the Articles of Confederation?**
The Articles of Confederation were America’s first governing system, created after the American Revolution. They established a framework for how the 13 states would interact, allowing each state to remain independent without a strong central authority. Under the Articles, there was no head of state or national court system, resulting in a lack of checks and balances and no executive branch to unify the states.
**Who was the head of state under the Articles of Confederation?**
There was no head of state under the Articles of Confederation. The governing body was Congress, which included representatives from each of the 13 states. The absence of a central executive authority was a significant characteristic of this system.
**Explain the problems Americans faced under the Articles of Confederation.**
Americans faced several significant problems under the Articles of Confederation, including:
1. **Lack of Revenue**: Congress did not have the power to collect taxes, leading to financial difficulties. This inability to generate revenue meant that the government could not pay off debts incurred during the American Revolution, especially to foreign nations like France and the Netherlands.
2. **Weak Central Government**: The absence of an executive branch made it challenging to enforce laws and maintain order among the states.
3. **Difficulty Passing Legislation**: With nine ‘yea’ votes required to pass a law in Congress, it was often difficult to achieve consensus among the states, leading to legislative gridlock.
4. **Interstate Conflicts**: Without a strong national government to mediate disputes, conflicts between states arose, further straining relations.
5. **Inability to Build a Nation**: The limitations of the Articles meant that America couldn't effectively create a unified nation or implement a cohesive policy.
**What was the Constitutional Convention of 1787? What was accomplished there?**
The Constitutional Convention of 1787 was an emergency meeting held to address the problems caused by the Articles of Confederation. During this event, delegates from the states convened to discuss and ultimately draft a new governing document. The outcome of the convention was the United States Constitution, which established a framework for a stronger federal government with three branches: executive, legislative, and judicial. This new structure provided mechanisms for checks and balances and allowed for a president, thereby addressing many of the weaknesses present in the Articles of Confederation. The US Constitution, created at this convention, remains the oldest functioning constitution in the world today.
The Articles of Confederation were America’s first governing system, created after the American Revolution. They established a framework for how the 13 states would interact, allowing each state to remain independent without a strong central authority. Under the Articles, there was no head of state or national court system, resulting in a lack of checks and balances and no executive branch to unify the states.
**Who was the head of state under the Articles of Confederation?**
There was no head of state under the Articles of Confederation. The governing body was Congress, which included representatives from each of the 13 states. The absence of a central executive authority was a significant characteristic of this system.
**Explain the problems Americans faced under the Articles of Confederation.**
Americans faced several significant problems under the Articles of Confederation, including:
1. **Lack of Revenue**: Congress did not have the power to collect taxes, leading to financial difficulties. This inability to generate revenue meant that the government could not pay off debts incurred during the American Revolution, especially to foreign nations like France and the Netherlands.
2. **Weak Central Government**: The absence of an executive branch made it challenging to enforce laws and maintain order among the states.
3. **Difficulty Passing Legislation**: With nine ‘yea’ votes required to pass a law in Congress, it was often difficult to achieve consensus among the states, leading to legislative gridlock.
4. **Interstate Conflicts**: Without a strong national government to mediate disputes, conflicts between states arose, further straining relations.
5. **Inability to Build a Nation**: The limitations of the Articles meant that America couldn't effectively create a unified nation or implement a cohesive policy.
**What was the Constitutional Convention of 1787? What was accomplished there?**
The Constitutional Convention of 1787 was an emergency meeting held to address the problems caused by the Articles of Confederation. During this event, delegates from the states convened to discuss and ultimately draft a new governing document. The outcome of the convention was the United States Constitution, which established a framework for a stronger federal government with three branches: executive, legislative, and judicial. This new structure provided mechanisms for checks and balances and allowed for a president, thereby addressing many of the weaknesses present in the Articles of Confederation. The US Constitution, created at this convention, remains the oldest functioning constitution in the world today.