Preview

The Similarities And Differences Between The Articles Of Confederation And The Constitution

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
596 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
The Similarities And Differences Between The Articles Of Confederation And The Constitution
Throughout the history of the United States it is amazing to think that it has only operated under two different constitutions. The first was the Articles of Confederation beginning March 1, 1781 and then the Constitution on June 21, 1788. After only seven years, the Articles were analyzed and re-written by a lot of the same people who constructed them.
The Articles of Confederation created the national Congress. The Congress consisted of one single chamber. At this time there were 13 states and each had one representative, elected annually and serving a year long term. Their time in office was limited to no more than three out of every six years. Members were appointed by the state legislatures. Any debates that were presented to the
Continue Reading
View Writing Issues

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Articles of Confederation - Ap U.S History Dbq Essay
    • 679 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Articles of Confederation - Ap U.S History Dbq Essay

    1. "From 1781 to 1787 the Articles of Confederation provided the United States with an effective government." Using the documents and your knowledge of the period, evaluate this statement.…

    • 679 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Transition from the Articles of Confederation to the Constitution: Reasons and Effects
    • 1180 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Transition from the Articles of Confederation to the Constitution: Reasons and Effects

    It is understood that the US Constitution was written to form a more centralized form of government, a federation, which could protect and regulate the rights of the US citizens. While the Articles of Confederation was avoiding this type of government affected by the British experience, the constitution encouraged it. The main difference between these two documents is the balance and centralization of powers. How did the constitution change the role of national government in the life of US citizens?…

    • 1180 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Pros And Cons Of The Articles Of Confederation
    • 392 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Pros And Cons Of The Articles Of Confederation

    Although it provided an outline to how future government should be formed, The Articles of Confederation did not provide America with an effective government from 1781 to 1789. Nicknamed “The Articles of Confusion”, The Articles of Confederation lacked stability and the power to truly govern the states. Under the articles there was no executive branch and no way for the federal government to raise money.…

    • 392 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Compare and Contrast the Articles of Confederation and the Constitution of 1787 with Regard: to Powers of Congress, Powers of the Executive, and Powers Vested in the States
    • 603 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Compare and Contrast the Articles of Confederation and the Constitution of 1787 with Regard: to Powers of Congress, Powers of the Executive, and Powers Vested in the States

    Women have always had a dominant role in the prosperity and growth of any community. These roles have changed depending on the time period, geography and race of the people. America had three most important groups of women: the Native Indian, the African, and the European. These three groups came from exceptionally different backgrounds, and played dissimilar roles in their family and community.…

    • 603 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Articles Of Confederation Vs US Constitution
    • 52 Words
    • 1 Page

    Articles Of Confederation Vs US Constitution

    Although there are many differences between the Articles of Confederation and the U.S. Constitution there are two principles that showcase the greatest differences; separation of powers (three branches that all have different obligations to the people of the U.S.) and checks and balances (the three branches that keep one from becoming tyrannical).…

    • 52 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Aoc vs the Constitution
    • 825 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Aoc vs the Constitution

    The Constitution of the USA was adopted in 1787. The Constitution created a legislature, an executive, and a national judiciary. Congress was given the…

    • 825 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Pros And Cons Of The Articles Of Confederation
    • 556 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Pros And Cons Of The Articles Of Confederation

    The United States of America was going through a time of great debates and dilemma’s. It became obvious that a better more powerful national government was necessary. The Articles of Confederation was weak and needed to be replaced. While this was occurring a major problem developed. This was between large states, which vied for legislature segmented by population, and smaller states which wanted the system to have equal portioned votes everywhere. The larger states suggested the Virginia Plan, and the small states proposed the New Jersey Plan. At first, this issue was at a stalemate and both sides refused to give up ground. Eventually, Oliver Ellsworth offered The Great Compromise. This called for a bicameral Legislature with proportional…

    • 556 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Declaration of Independence, Articles of Confederation, and the Constitution Similarities and Differences between the 3 documents and what they mean to our country.
    • 543 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Declaration of Independence, Articles of Confederation, and the Constitution Similarities and Differences between the 3 documents and what they mean to our country.

    The Articles of Confederation, drafted by the Continental Congress in 1777 and ratified in 1781, became the first constitution of the United States. The original draft, prepared by John Dickinson in 1776, contained provisions for a strong and possibly…

    • 543 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Pros And Cons Of The Articles Of Confederation
    • 871 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Pros And Cons Of The Articles Of Confederation

    The American system of government following the end of the American Revolution was a disaster as far as the nation’s status as a union. Under the Articles of Confederation, there was nothing “unified” about the United States. The states stood in the union as individual bodies, with little to no ties to a seemingly non-existent central governing body or to the other states. This allowed the states to disregard other states’ laws and ultimately created disunion within the states. Because it has been proven that the states cannot stand alone and sufficiently govern themselves without a strong central government, the national government should be the supreme law of the land.…

    • 871 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Differences Between The Articles Of Confederation And The Constitution
    • 405 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Differences Between The Articles Of Confederation And The Constitution

    The Articles of Confederation and the Constitution, although both written documents explaining how the American government would be ran, they have very distinct qualities about them. During the Constitutional Convention, instead of revising the Articles of Confederation as originally planned, those attending the meeting felt that a whole new document needed to be written. Legislation, the sovereignty of states, and the executive branch were all major differences between the two documents.…

    • 405 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Strengths And Weaknesses Of The Articles Of Confederation
    • 253 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Strengths And Weaknesses Of The Articles Of Confederation

    After the Revolution of 1776, America had to transition itself from thirteen disjointed colonies to one unified nation. In 1777, the Articles of Confederation was drafted and submitted for the states’ approval. Out of thirteen states, only eight ratified the plan for a national government by 1778, while nearly three more years passed before the last state approved the Articles (Soomo Publications, 2015). Although the Articles of Confederation provided a system for the Continental Congress to direct the Revolutionary War, Congress felt the need for a stronger union with enough power to defeat Great Britain. The belief that a constitutional order must be fitting to its republican character was met with the fear of a central authority (HistoryEd, 2009). Such a fear may have potentially devastated the ability to adequately serve a considerable union like the United States. In response to this fear, Federalists such as Alexander Hamilton published essays in hopes of swaying the public opinion in favor of ratifying the Constitution. The Federalist Papers are a collection of eighty-five articles written by Hamilton, as well as James Madison and John Jay, promoted ratifying the Constitution in hopes of creating a resilient, centralized government (Lutz, 1990). After months of deliberation at the Constitutional Convention in Pennsylvania, a Constitution was ratified and agreed upon by the states.…

    • 253 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Articles Of Confederation: First Constitution Of The United States
    • 344 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Articles Of Confederation: First Constitution Of The United States

    In 1777 Congress made the Articles of Confederation, the first constitution of the United States of America. Under the Articles of Confederation Congress had several powers which were; authority to conduct foreign affairs, maintain armed forces, borrow money, and issue currency. Although Congress had powers, their powers were limited. Due to problems with British, the 13 states refused to give Congress two important powers. These powers were that Congress had no power to enforce its laws and no power to tax. Congress could ask for money, but could not demand it. Congress unfortunately could not require the states to do anything. Without money or real power over the states, the Congress commanded so little respect…

    • 344 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    What Is The Difference Between The Articles Of Confederation And The Constitution
    • 665 Words
    • 3 Pages

    What Is The Difference Between The Articles Of Confederation And The Constitution

    In 8th grade History, I am positive I was taught about the Articles of Confederation and the U.S. Constitution; however, considering that before this week I wouldn’t have been able to differentiate between the two documents, or even speak to what they were about, I cannot confidently say that I learned about them. The module assigned to us this week in class helped me learn about the differences between the Constitution and the Articles of Confederation; in addition to discovering what the Federalists and the Antifederalists stood for. Though the documents, and the groups of people, shared commonalities, their differences, rather, are what defined the United States as a country, and propelled it in a direction that led to governmental procedures today. The idea of having a three-branch government in America- which was written in the constitution, but not in the Articles of Confederation- is the most interesting thing I learned about in this lesson.…

    • 665 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Ratifying the Constitution Dbq
    • 1033 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Ratifying the Constitution Dbq

    The Constitution of the United States was written in 1787, yet there was a struggle for its ratification that went on until 1790. Members of Congress believed that the Articles of Confederation, the first government of the United States, needed to be altered while others did not want change. After the Revolutionary War, there was a need for strong state centered governments, rather than a strong central government based on their experience as a colony. However, an investigation of the historical record reveals that the Articles of Confederation were not meeting the needs of Americans, and the need for a new Constitution was desired. This desired Constitution created a huge dispute and argument between the Federalists and the Anti-Federalists.…

    • 1033 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Articles Of Confederation And Constitution DBQ
    • 1152 Words
    • 1 Page

    Articles Of Confederation And Constitution DBQ

    had a lot of problems since the beginning, since the central government was so weak.…

    • 1152 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
    Read More