Articles of Confederation

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Under the Articles of Confederation, America was divided. Each of the thirteen States were sovereign. They had sole power to institute their own currency, raise an army, and “enter into treaties, and make war and peace” under certain circumstances. (Boorstin, 73) The problem with each State having the ability to issue their own currency, was that “Nobody knew precisely how much a New York dollar was worth, compared to one from Pennsylvania or Rhode Island. The more money there was, the less a dollar bought. For five long years after 1784 there was the worst business depression the colonies had ever suffered. It was one of the longest and deepest depressions in all American history.” (Boorstin, 75) Because of inflation, none of the currencies from the States were equal. This further separated the Country. When Shays’ Rebellion started, there was no army to stop the revolts. The ability of individual States to secure peace or war could very well cause the States to turn on each other, killing the concept of the United States. This all proved to be problematic. How could thirteen self-governing States ever become one and still hold the same freedoms they prided themselves in? They could not. This is why fifty-five delegates from twelve States met in the summer of 1787 in Independence Hall to write the Constitution which would provide for the Common interests of the United States as well as allowing each State to make independent decisions on their own everyday affairs. (Boorstin, 75) The Americans selected the Constitutional Orders (1787-89) because they wanted a national Government that could tax, defend liberty, and regulate commerce. All of which were unattainable under the Articles. A nation cannot thrive when it ... ... middle of paper ... ...commerce was controlled by the government. “In sum, the Clause was drafted to grant Congress the power to craft a coherent national trade policy, to restore and maintain viable trade among the States, and to prevent interstate war.” (Constitution Society) These three points are the reasons why America rejected the Articles for the Constitution. Works Cited Schweikart, Larry, and Michael Allen. A Patriot’s History of the United States. New York: Penguin Group, 2004. Print. Boorstin, Daniel J. The Landmark History of the American People From Plymouth to Appomattox. New York: Random House, 1968. Print. Bork, Robert H., and Daniel E. Troy. "Locating The Boundaries: The Scope of Congress's Power to Regulate Commerce." Index. Constitution Society, 10 Apr. 2002. Web. 14 Oct. 2011. . The Constitution of the United States of America

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