Life expectancy around the year 1800 was only about 36 years, so "middle age" (or median of lifespans) would be only about 17 or 18 years of age. By the time young people reached their late teens, they typically were expected to be working, married and carrying adult responsibilities.
Those life expectancy numbers can be a little misleading, though. A main reason that average life expectancy was only in the mid-30s is because infant mortality rates were very high. For persons who survived their childhood into adulthood, there was a good chance they lived to a much older age than 30-something.
<span>The most important difference was that the Articles of Confederation gave very little power to a central government while the Constitution created a strong central government.
Other major differences include:
Articles of Confederation:
- no Bill of Rights
- gov't has no power to collect tax
- to make amendment, vote of states had to be unanimous
- no president (executive branch)
- only one "house" in Congress (unicameral)
- states could coin there own $ (so there were multiple currencies)
- Congress had between 2 and 7 reps per state
- representatives in Congress were appointed by state legislature (no popular vote)
U.S. Constitution:
- Bill of Rights
- gov't can collect tax
- amendment needs 3/4 vote
- has an executive branch
- two houses in Congress (bicameral)
- only U.S. gov't can coin $ (one currency for nation)
- Congress has 2 senators per state and representatives depending on the size of the state's population
- senators appointed, but representatives elected through popular vote</span>
