State Constitutions and the Articles of Confederation

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State Constitutions and the Articles of
Confederation
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The Articles of Confederation

• The Articles of Confederation were the first
  constitution of the United States.
• It created a loose confederation of independent
  states that gave limited powers to a central
  government.
• The national government would consist of a single
  house of Congress, where each state would have
  one vote.
• There was no independent executive and no veto of
  legislation.
• Judicial proceedings in each state were to be
  honored by all other states.
• The federal government was plagued by several
  inherent defects with the Articles of
  Confederation, the biggest issue was the
  inability to regulate trade and levy taxes.

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Annapolis Convention

• Some Americans began contemplating radical
  changes because they were unhappy with the
  impotence of the Articles of Confederation.
• The Annapolis Convention was organized to address
  issues related to commerce.
• James Madison and Alexander Hamilton used the
  meeting to advocate a new form of federal
  government.

The Maryland State House above was the site of
the Annapolis Convention
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The Federalist Papers

• The Federalist Papers were a series of 85
  articles arguing for the ratification of the
  United States Constitution.
• They were first published serially from October
  1787 to August 1788 in New York City newspapers.
• Alexander Hamilton was their principle author,
  with assistance from James Madison and John Jay.
• Federalist No. 10 and Federalist No. 51 are
  generally regarded as the most influential of the
  85 articles
• 10 advocates for a large, strong republic and
  includes discussion on factions,
• 51 explains the need for separation of powers.

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The Virginia Plan

• James Madison argued that no confederacy could
  endure if it acted upon states only and not
  directly upon individuals.
• He outlined a new system of government, the basis
  of the "Virginia Plan" presented in the
  convention by Edmund Jennings Randolph.
• That Madison and Randolph were able to enter the
  Constitutional Convention with a plan of
  government conferred an enormous political
  advantage.
• The Virginia Plan became the basis for the early
  debate on a new structure of government.

James Madison
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Original 13 States
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Media Citations

• Slide 2 http//www.lewrockwell.com/jarvis/signing
  .jpg
• Slide 3 http//www.cr.nps.gov/history/online_boo
  ks/constitution/images/fig7.jpg
• Slide 4 http//www.loc.gov/rr/program/bib/ourdocs
  /Images/federalist.jpg
• Slide 5 http//www.columbia.edu/itc/law/witt/imag
  es/lect9/fx04_james_madison_2.jpg
• Slide 6 http//www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/historical
  /shepherd/united_states_1783_1803.jpg