African Culture

Nearly two hundred and fifty years ago the United States Constitution was ratified by nine of the original thirteen states. The ratification of this document would lay the framework for the land of liberty that is currently the United States of America. I wish I could have been present in Philadelphia to watch the proceedings of this defining moment in history. As with all great things, controversy has followed the Constitution. Many theories have been presented that outline a group of powerful and wealthy leaders pushing the passage of what they would call, a safe investment. The theory, and that is all it is, that the driving force behind the United State's Constitution was to protect economic interest is utterly absurd and invalid. The framers of the Constitution were extremely intelligent men that drafted a guide to government for an incredibly young country. The document they created has stood strong as the fundamental backbone of our great nation. The men that convened in Philadelphia in 1787 were there for one purpose; to stabilize a central government and, in turn, allow the development of a great nation. After living unsuccessfully under the Articles of Confederation, most federalist sought a sturdy central government that would reign supreme over state governments fueled by ulterior motives. The framers of the Constitution drafted the document with the well-being and future of our country at the front of their mind. Not the idea of economic potential and return. These men had lived under the tyrannical rule of Great Britain. They had witnessed the devastating effects wealth, power, and greed could have on the leaders of society. The framers saw the Constitutional Convention has a chance to set things straight, once and for all. In the years that have followed since the ratification of the Constitution, the powers expressed to both the national and state governments have been implored to benefit the common market created by the central government.