The Articles of Confederation, the United States' first constitution, was written during a time when the American people feared strong national governments. The new nation needed some kind of organization to hold states together to help them fend off future attacks and hopefully make a stronger economy, and the Articles of Confederation seemed like the best answer to build unity at the time.
The English government had been especially abusive to the Colonists, who were very reluctant to install a new government that could potentially function similar to the monarchy under King George. The loyalty of the people seemed to align more with the individual states than with the nation. After the American Revolution, states were still printing their own money, which was worthless in other states and further hindered cooperation. The 13 new states needed to find common ground and a way to cooperate.
During the American Revolution, many states wrote their own state constitutions. These constitutions consisted of political ideas that provided equality and freedom. States particularly relished the three branches of government and the idea of a republic, where citizens elect political officials. However, when the states came together to complete the first constitution, the nation was formed as a confederation, where states were sovereign, while trying to work together.
There were more weaknesses than strengths under the Articles of Confederation. The lack of power given to the Continental Congress strangled the federal government. The Articles gave Congress the power to pass laws but no power to enforce those laws. If a state did not support a federal law, that state could simply ignore it. Congress had no power to levy taxes or regulate trade. Without a federal court system or executive leader, there would be no way to enforce these laws, either. Amending the Articles of Confederation would also require a unanimous decision, which would be extremely difficult.
The federal government, under the Articles of Confederation, was too weak to enforce their laws and therefore had no power. The Continental Congress had borrowed money to fight the Revolutionary War and could not repay their debts. States had also fallen into debt and were raising taxes to pay off those debts.
B. An individual's rights and responsibilities
Rugged individualism is the belief that individuals should work for their own success. This belief means people are responsible for their own economic well being and being able to take care of their family. Social welfare is the concept that a person can accept help from the community. This thinking allows a person to accept help from the government and that individuals would expect the government does help in certain cases and protections.
These two concepts came to a head in the US Great Depression. Republicans tended to argue for rugged individualism and the belief that people would be better off if they provided for themselves. This conservative thinking encouraged people to find innovate and find ways to make money during the Great Depression. Those supporting social welfare wanted the government to help support them. This thinking supports the idea that some services and responsibilities should be the burden of the whole community not just individualism in the community.
Go to Ghana and then drive to the farms and talk with them
They where big trading cities that many people wanted to control and because of it geographic location it was used as a cultural hearth
It was written on December 16, 1689 by William III and Mary II.
