Did The Founding Fathers Create The Constitution Essay

1108 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Making of the constitution essay

Did the Founding Fathers actually create the constitution to help us? Alternatively, did they create the constitution just to protect their beliefs and so on? The Founding Fathers was an elite group that sought to create a constitution for their own interests. Several members apart from this strategic group agreed to create the constitution only for their selfish ambitions. The Founding Fathers created the constitution rather than amend the Articles of Confederation. Just because some decline the ideas of others apart from the group, which created a break in the group. As a result, members of the elite group saw this as a way of starting over to fresh new start. Therefore, the person who always seemed to make everything a problem in this elite …show more content…

He states that the government had too many leaders and not enough followers. That the government administrated by too many people who had a different motive on running the state. In addition, Madison agreed to what Hamilton was saying. Therefore, Madison helped Hamilton settle this dilemma. “It has been seen that delinquencies in the members of the Union are its natural and necessary offspring; and that whenever they happen, the only constitutional remedy is a force, and the immediate effect of the use of it, civil war.” (Hamilton) Hamilton father explains why this would be a problem with government and predicts what might happen if it reaches to that point. “To this reasoning, it may perhaps be objected, that if any State should be disaffected to the authority of the Union, it could at any time obstruct the execution of its laws, and bring the matter to the same issue of force, with the necessity of which the opposite scheme is reproached.” (Hamilton) Both Alexander Hamilton and James Madison wrote the 18th and 19th Federalist paper. The 18th article spoke about contradicting the argument of anti-federalists that proposed a monarchical rule in America. Madison states that if the anti-federalist and federalist do not collaborate on the rule that they established for the people. They would become like the people in Greek history. “Instead of this obvious policy, Athens and Sparta, inflated with the victories and the glory they had acquired, became first rivals and then enemies; and did each other infinitely more mischief than they had suffered from Xerxes.” Demonstrating a jealous view of power and disorganized fashion. “Their mutual jealousies, fears, hatreds, and injuries ended in the celebrated Peloponnesian war; which itself ended in the ruin and slavery of the Athenians who had begun

Show More
Related

  • Pros And Cons Of Alexander Hamilton And James Madison

    1224 Words  | 3 Pages

    Alexander Hamilton and James Madison did have faith in the ethics of the people to establish a republican government, for they could see that the old Federalist Government was no longer working for the people. The people had out-grown the Federalist government, and needed to become a Union. Alexander Hamilton asked the people to come join him in making a new Union. By uniting the thirteen colonies, the colonists could have more of a say in their government, and become united as a country. Alexander Hamilton told the colonists that they needed to meet and deliberate on a new Constitution for the United States of America. In the

    Read More

  • Alexander Hamilton: Strong Central Government

    468 Words  | 1 Pages

    “It’s not tyranny we desire; it’s a just, limited, federal government.” Alexander Hamilton. When Hamilton said this he was expressing the way he felt about central government. Hamilton and Jefferson both had very different views on government. Hamilton wanted a strong central government and Jefferson wanted all of the power to belong to the states. Alexander Hamilton’s views on government were better for what the United States would become.

    Read More

  • DBQ: The American Revolution

    1118 Words  | 3 Pages

    During the American Revolution, the Americans aspired to keep their government as far away from the resemblance of the British government as possible. Politics were changing in a time where the monarchs ruled the American people, that had to be put to a stop. States’ rights were being advocated into the new United States government as much as humanly possible. James Madison was a helper in writing the Federalist papers along with John Jay and Alexander Hamilton. Madison writes “you must first enable the government to control the governed” (Doc I), which demonstrates the authority that the Federalists initially wanted

    Read More

  • James Madison on the Constitution and the Bill of Rights

    1007 Words  | 3 Pages

    James Madison, an American statesman and political theorist that was present at the constitutional convention. Many of the ideas proposed by Madison are part of the reason that the Constitution has withstood the test of time. Madison was ultimately prepared to deal with one of the biggest problems this new government would face in his eyes, factions. Factions, which as defined by Madison are “a number of citizens, whether amounting to a majority or minority of the whole, who are united and actuated by some common impulse of passion, or of interest, adverse to the rights of other citizens, or to the permanent and aggregate interests of the community” (Madison 156). Madison addresses various ways that he sees factions can be cured of its mischiefs such as removing a faction’s causes and also controlling their effects. Madison points out that this is would potentially create an even bigger problem than the factions themselves by stating, “Liberty is to faction, what air is to fire, an ailment, without which it instantly expires” (Madison 156) Madison also stated that the way for a government to remove the cause of faction was either to destroy the liberty that causes factions to exist in the first place or to give every citizen the same beliefs and opinions. Madison deemed this impractical, because it is nearly impossible to give everyone in a given place the same opinions and destroying the liberty would take away the very thing that the colonies fought for 4 years earlier. The fact is Madison knew that the country wouldn’t be able to count on a well-educated statesman to be there any time a faction gets out of hand. Madison knew the only viable way to keep factions under control is not to get rid of factions entirely but to set a r...

    Read More

  • Federalist Alexander Hamilton

    672 Words  | 2 Pages

    As a federalist Alexander Hamilton wanted to establish a stronger federal government under a new Constitution. He met in Philadelphia with other delegates to discuss how to fix the Articles of Confederation that created a weak central government. During the meeting, Hamilton expressed his view that a dependable current source of revenue would be crucial to develop a more powerful and resilient central government. Although Hamilton played a diminutive part in the writing of the Constitution itself, he did heavily influence its ratification. In cooperation with James Madison and  John Jay, Hamilton wrote fifty one of eighty five essays under the joint title The Federalist “The Federalist Paper.” In the essays, he cunningly explained and defended the newly drafted Constitution prior to its approval. In 1788, at the New York Ratification Convention, two thirds of delegates opposed the Constitution, however Hamilton was a powerful advocate for ratification, effectively arguing against the anti Federalist persuasion. His efforts succeeded when New York agreed to ratify, which led the remaining eight states to follow. He had a proposal for the new government that was modeled on the British system, which Hamilton considered the best.

    Read More

  • Andrew Jackson and the Nullification Crisis

    711 Words  | 2 Pages

    Andrew Jackson had strongly believed in Alexander Hamilton’s views of a strong central government. Hamilton believed that a strong central government would balance power between the “mass of the people” and the richer citizens. He thought it would protect everyone’s liberties while keeping people from having too much power. There was a big debate in 1830 called the Hayne-Webster Debate. Robert Y. Hayne, who was a senator from South Carolina, was a believer in state rights. Hayne said that the nullification gave the states a way to lawfully protest the federal legislation. Daniel Webster from Massachusetts argued against that, saying the United States was one nation, not a pact among independent states. He said he believed the welfare of the nation should overrule that of individual states. Andrew Jacks...

    Read More

  • Comparing Thomas Jefferson And Alexander Hamilton

    583 Words  | 2 Pages

    Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton were both men for the greater good and for the future of the nation. Jefferson and Hamilton had their differences, and public policies but also similarities. Thomas and Alexander were both part of different political parties. The political parties were called Federalists and anti-Federalists. Federalists were led by Alexander Hamilton who were a group of people were for a strong governments and strong government. The anti-federalist’s leader was none other but Thomas Jefferson. The anti-federalists were for a state and local government. The main comparison among these two gentlemen were that they were both leaders of their own political party. The other difference was their view on both of the types of

    Read More

  • Shay's Rebellion: The Goal Of The Constitutional Rebellion

    744 Words  | 2 Pages

    He looked at the common people in a very negative light. He thought they were easily led, irrational and prone to be fooled by demagoguery. In other words the people have to be restricted for their own good. They were incapable of governing themselves. Alexander Hamilton felt exactly the same way. He was cynical in the ability of the few educated man to “succumb to revolutionary excesses, he found it "almost impossible among the unthinking populace.” Leaving the affairs of government in the hands of the people would surely lead to mayhem . Throughout his life, Alexander Hamilton “exhibited the same mistrust in the abilities of ordinary persons to govern themselves without descending into anarchy.” Like many, He saw Shay’s rebellion as "the excess of democracy”;. In Hamilton 's eyes the issue of leaving all that power in the hands of the will cripple the entire nation. Hamilton became infuriated by Congress ' lack of authority under the Articles of Confederation and used Shays ' Rebellion to advocate for a stronger the national government. Notably absent from the Philadelphia Convention was Thomas Jefferson . Jefferson and Hamilton were archrival and had opposing views in most everything . Jefferson was always on the side of individual liberty, he thought that Shay’s rebellion was justified. He believed that in order to have a true democracy it is necessary for people to protest every now and then. Jefferson tells Madison “loftily from Paris”: “I hold it that a little rebellion now and then is a good thing, and as necessary in the political world as storms in the physical.” He was against a big and strong central

    Read More

  • Federalists

    944 Words  | 2 Pages

    James Madison was a very intelligent man and was one of the forefathers for our country. In Madison’s Federalist Paper Number 10 he describes the need to control factions in the United States and how the government is to do so. The Federalist papers are a key point in describing how to control “factions” that are so dangerous to the young government, or so Madison feels. In Madison’s paper he clearly lays out his idea on the sources of factions, his feelings on democracy versus a republic, and how to control factions.

    Read More

  • Democracy In The 19th Century

    1358 Words  | 3 Pages

    During the construction of the new Constitution, many of the most prominent and experienced political members of America’s society provided a framework on the future of the new country; they had in mind, because of the failures of the Articles of Confederation, a new kind of government where the national or Federal government would be the sovereign power, not the states. Because of the increased power of the national government over the individual states, many Americans feared it would hinder their ability to exercise their individual freedoms. Assuring the people, both Alexander Hamilton and James Madison insisted the new government under the constitution was “an expression of freedom, not its enemy,” declaring “the Constitution made political tyranny almost impossible.” (Foner, pg. 227) The checks and balances introduced under the new and more powerful national government would not allow the tyranny caused by a king under the Parliament system in Britain. They insisted that in order achieve a greater amount of freedom, a national government was needed to avoid the civil unrest during the system under the Articles of Confederation. Claiming that the new national government would be a “perfect balance between liberty and power,” it would avoid the disruption that liberty [civil unrest] and power [king’s abuse of power in England] caused. The “lackluster leadership” of the critics of the new constitution claimed that a large land area such as America could not work for such a diverse nation.

    Read More

  • American Revolution and its Aftermath

    1157 Words  | 3 Pages

    The American Revolution stirred political unity and motivated the need for change in the nation. Because many Americans fought for a more balanced government in the Revolutionary War, they initially created a weak national government that hampered the country's growth and expansion. In the Letter from Abigail Adams to Thomas Jefferson, Mrs. Adams complained about the inadequacy of power that the American government had to regulate domestic affairs. The Articles of Confederation was created to be weak because many had feared a similar governing experience that they had just eliminated with Britain. The alliance of states united the 13 local governments but lacked power to deal with important issues or to regulate diplomatic affairs. Congress did not have the power to tax, regulate trade, or draft people for war. This put the American citizens at stake because States had the power to refuse requests for taxes and troops (Document G). The weakened national government could not do anything about uprisings or small-scale protests because it did not have the power to put together an army. The deficiencies of the confederation government inspired the drafting of the American Constitution. The document itself embodied the principle of a national government prepared to deal with the nation's problems. In James Madison's Federalist Paper, he persuades the American public to adopt the Constitution so that the government can protect humans from their nature and keep them out of conflicts.

    Read More

  • A Summary Of Alexander Hamilton's War

    584 Words  | 2 Pages

    After the war, Alexander Hamilton comes back to New York, where he goes back to studying law. He also has his first son Philip. Hamilton doesn’t stay in the shadows too long, because after the war, they had one massive issue… debt. Hamilton and some other delegates call for a meeting with other delegates to the thing we call now, the Constitutional Convention. At that meeting, he was the only delegate there from New York. Because the Articles of Confederation were too weak to live off of, Hamilton and other people wanted a new constitution that would strengthen the government. Alexander Hamilton and other federalists wanted a stronger government and weak state power, while anti-federalists like Thomas Jefferson wanted as much state power as possible and a weak government. Unfortunately, they wouldn’t be able to acquire enough votes to ratify the constitution. So John Jay, James Madison, and Alexander Hamilton work together to create The Federalist Papers, which helped persuade the people to ratify the constitution. In 1789, Washington is appointed president and had Hamilton as Secretary of Treasury. As Secretary, Hamilton comes up with the debt plan that helps save all the states from

    Read More

  • U.S. Constitution: Counter Revolutionary?

    740 Words  | 2 Pages

    The beginning of the Constitution provides a basis for one to question the righteousness of the Framers intentions. The Constitution starts by saying, “ We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by the Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” This was not a true statement. That phrase excluded black people, women, and men who lacked wealth. Government under the British did the same thing; all the power was made accessible to only the rich. The American Revolution was aimed at acquiring equal and fair representation in government for everyone. Next, the Constitution established a Supreme Court. The Supreme Court was a group of selected people who would make major legal decisions for the country. These people were not elected or chosen by the people, they were chosen by the government. This placed a form of power over the people of the United States that had been held by King George. The Supreme Court had the power to ma...

    Read More

  • Differences Between Hamilton And Jefferson

    940 Words  | 2 Pages

    While Hamilton and Jefferson both tried to give the new nation what they thought was best, it was inevitable that their views would clash. Due to sharp differences in their political and economical thoughts, Hamilton and Jefferson more often then not found themselves fighting over issues they should have been in agreement with. Hamilton’s Federalism and Jefferson’s anti-Federalism all served to create different movement that would affect the nation both economically and politically as the years after the Revolution played out.

    Read More

  • Competitive Federalism

    2725 Words  | 6 Pages

    Even before the Constitution was ratified, strong argument were made by Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and James Madison in the Federalist Papers urging the inclusion of a federal form of government to replace the failed confederation. In Federalist Paper No. 9 Hamilton states, “This form of government is a convention by which several smaller states agree to become members of a large one, which they intend to form. It is s kind of assemblage of societies that constitutes a new one, capable of increasing, by means of new associations, until they arrive to such a degree of power as to be able to provide for the security of a united body” (Usinfo.state.gov). The people of the United States needed a central government that was capable of holding certain powers over the states.

    Read More

More about Did The Founding Fathers Create The Constitution Essay

Open Document