Response To The Constitution Dbq

The document known as the Constitution acts as the binding fabric of our nation, an embodiment of national identity and a testament to our desire to work together, as one nation, for the pursuit of the values and ideals fought for during the American War of Independence and throughout our history. The Constitution of the United States receives esteem from all corners of the country, both geographically and ideologically, and is considered by most as the document that ensures and exudes the freedom enjoyed in our country based in republican democracy. However, our country was not always united behind such a document. Prior to constitution being made law in 1789, our country was governed by a weak set of documents known as the Articles of Confederation,

This group of people were known as the federalists, because they wished to form a federal republic, meaning more powers ceded by state governments to form an effective national government. The country under the Articles of Confederation was extremely disorganized and even began to lack its national identity that had carried it through the revolution. The United States were facing an economic depression, do to the prohibitive tariffs placed by individual states that the federal government could not regulate, and the government’s inability to control foreign trade relations, which resulted in European nations being able to dump cheap products in American markets tariff-free, shutting down all possible competition and stunting American economic growth. European powers were outfoxing America on the diplomatic front as well, because each individual state essentially had their own individual peace agreements with Europe and various native American tribes. This, coupled with the fact that most states still had their own state militias and even state navies, made the national defense almost impossible. And finally, the lack of taxing ability continuously crippled the central government, making it progressively more and more ineffective. Unsurprisingly, all of these were addressed by the drafters of the Constitution. To provide a cure for the legislative deadlock and government inaction faced under the Articles of confederation, the Constitution mandated that new laws only needed the support of a simple majority of voting congresspersons, and amendments needed a two-thirds majority. To face head-on the economic downturn that was crippling the new nation, the Constitution