Instructions
For the following assignment, you will be creating an outline of the material that you have been studying in Unit I. You will use the template linked here to complete this assignment. Complete sentences are not required.
Use the material discussed in your unit lesson, the reading assignments, and other outside sources to fill in the areas beneath each sub-heading in the outline template. You should utilize at least two sources for this assignment.
You may find that you need more or fewer spaces beneath each sub-heading, and that is perfectly acceptable. Just be sure to complete the assignment fully and completely. Be sure to cite and reference your sources using proper APA formatting. Your outline should be at least one page in length.
Remember that when directly quoted or paraphrased works of others are used in any manner, the writer is obligated to properly cite the source of the original narrative.
Solution:
Articles of Confederation
Events leading up to the creation of the Articles
- Appointment of the committee by the Continental Congress on June 12, 1776 to draft the Articles of the Government to enhance a “Firm league of Friendship of the thirteen states” (Conlin, 2014)
- Presentation and discussion of the Articles in Congress on July 12, 1776 with major focus being control of western lands, taxation and power of states
- Approval of the Articles of the Government on November 15, 1777
- Enforcement of the Articles of Confederation on March 1, 1781 after approval by all thirteen states
B. Pros of the Articles
- Congress had the authority to deal with the foreign affairs and power to make peace, declare war, sign treaties, and make alliances (Belton, 2014).
- It led to the establishment of the Department of Postal Services, Department of Treasury, and Department of Foreign Affairs.
C. Cons of the Articles
- There was no mechanisms of controlling trade or commerce between different states, every state was at liberty to put taxes on trade between states
- Any amendment to the articles required a unanimous vote resulting to long delaying in the implementation (Belton, 2014).
D. Events leading up to the demise of the Articles
- Shay’s rebellion of 1786 and 1787 where more than 4,000 farmers in Massachusetts protested against civil and economic injustices.
- A constitutional convention in Philadelphia in 1787 which produced a new constitution
Philadelphia Convention/United States Constitutional Convention
A. Purpose
- To amend the Articles of Confederation
- To provide for common defense and promote the general welfare
B. Major goals of the Convention
- To discuss the problems of weak central government which existed under Articles of Confederation
- To discuss the issue of representation in detail and determine whether representation will be based on voting as exhibited under the articles or on the basis of aspects such as population (Conlin, 2014).
Philosophers
A. Names
- Thomas Paine
- Ralph Waldo Emerson
B. Contributions made to Founding Fathers’ vision for new government
- Philosophers such as Ralph Waldo Emerson advocated for self-improvement, education, and dignity to all.
- They wrote songs and pamphlets whose objectives were to promote the values and vision advocated for by the Founding Fathers.
References
Belton, B. (2014). The Articles of Confederation (1st ed., p. 26). New York: Gareth Stevens Publishing.
Conlin, J. (2014). The American Past: A Survey of American History (10th ed., p. 170). Wadsworth: CENGAGE Learning.