The delegates arrived at the convention with instructions to revise the Articles of Confederation. The biggest problem the convention needed to solve was the federal government's inability to levy taxes. That weakness meant that the burden of paying back debt from the Revolutionary War fell on the states.
With the passage of time, weaknesses in the Articles of Confederation became apparent; Congress commanded little respect and no support from state governments anxious to maintain their power. Congress could not raise funds, regulate trade, or conduct foreign policy without the voluntary agreement of the states.
The Constitution fixed the weaknesses by allowing the central government certain powers/rights. Below are some of the items the Articles did not address: Constitution became the supreme law of the United States. Congress now has the right to levy taxes.
In May, 55 delegates came to Philadelphia, and the Constitutional Convention began. Debates erupted over representation in Congress, over slavery, and over the new executive branch.
Terms in this set (7)Congress could not establish a common currency.Could not regulate commerce or levy taxes.Reied on contributions from the states which were unreliable.Could not fund war debts.Could not pay for their imported goods.Debt increased.Shays rebellion ( farmers)
Terms in this set (13)Strength 1. Congress could declare war, and start an army and navy.Strength 2. They could make peace and sign treaties.Strength 3. They can borrow money.Strength 4. They can organize a post office.Weakness 1. They had no power to draft soldiers.Weakness 2. ... Weakness 3. ... Weakness 4.More items...
Terms in this set (8)No chief executive (president)Laws needed approval by nine of the thirteen states.Congress did not have the power to draft an army.Congress could not tax citizens directly. ... No national court system (no Supreme Court)Any amendments to the Articles of Confederation must be approved by all 13 states.More items...
Because of widespread fear of a strong central government at the time they were written and strong loyalties among Americans to their own state as opposed to any national government during the American Revolution, the Articles of Confederation purposely kept the national government as weak as possible and the states as ...
A central issue at the Convention was whether the federal government or the states would have more power. Many delegates believed that the federal government should be able to overrule state laws, but others feared that a strong federal government would oppress their citizens.
The key issue that would nearly tear the convention apart was representation. The delegates had to decide how many representatives each state would have. Ideas from both large and small states abounded, but the states would need an ingenious compromise to make the new Constitution palatable to everyone.
4. The delegates had differing views on how powerful the national government should be. List one belief that these two types of delegates shared....How many branches of government?33How was the legislature organized?Composed of two houses: Representatives and the SenateOne House1 more row
During the Constitutional Convention, this was one of the many weaknesses that the delegates saw in the Articles of Confederation: without Separation of Powers, the government relied on one branch only to perform all their duties, and could not be overseen or checked by other branches.
During the late 1800s, one result of railroad expansion in the West was the decline of the Western economy. an increase in cattle ranching. a decrease …