Be the first. Add a review and share your thoughts with other readers. Tags Add tags for "The critical period of American history, ". User lists with this item 1 Comstock Vol 1 items by Stirrup updated All rights reserved. Please sign in to WorldCat Don't have an account? Remember me on this computer. Cancel Forgot your password? John Fiske. Print book : English View all editions and formats. United States -- History -- Confederation, User lists Similar Items.
Online version: Fiske, John, John Fiske Find more information about: John Fiske. The Anti-Federalists like him were suspicious of the strong, centralized power of a nation.
They feared the cost to liberty of a national government with vast new powers over all the states and the people as individuals.
These concerns notwithstanding, every state except Rhode Island sent delegates. Although they were leading statesmen and are regarded as Founders [often associated with the Constitution] today, Thomas Jefferson and John Adams were not at the Convention.
They were serving in diplomatic posts in Europe at the time. The year old had already done a great deal of thinking about the form and principles of a new government, and he had a plan ready to present.
He and some others were convinced that one needed change was the creation of an energetic and independent executive. Such an institution, which was missing from the Articles of Confederation, would be a check against legislative usurpation Congress overstepping its powers and bad laws, and give the United States a guide in its relationships with foreign nations. Many feared the tyranny of a King.
It took them almost the entire summer to agree on Article II and the office of President as it exists now—an individual rather than an executive council , elected through the Electoral College rather than appointed by the legislature for a four-year term. Many years later, the Twenty-Second Amendment ratified in would limit the President to two four-year terms. Divisions emerged among the delegates regarding other issues as well. There was a rift between those from large states and small states.
Should all states have equal representation in the national legislature, or should states be represented based on their population? The idea of representation by equal states was favored, not surprisingly, by small states. Delegates from large states objected that equal representation would allow a small minority of people to block laws the great majority of people in the country wanted.
But delegates from small states argued that proportional representation would give a few big states all the power and make the small states and their concerns practically irrelevant. Following the war's conclusion, America slipped into an era of inflation and depression. Currencies were not uniform among the states and the value of many media of exchange was plummeting. Workers previously employed in war production faced protracted unemployment. In addition to listing the powers of the national government-which include the power to collect taxes, regulate trade, and declare war-the Constitution enumerates the powers forbidden to the states and to Congress; and the procedures for electing and appointing government officials as well as procedures for amending the document.
The Bill of Rights, the first ten amendments to the Constitution, was ratified in These amendments, which were originally intended to protect individual liberties from the power of the central government, guarantee freedom of speech, the press, religion, petition, and assembly; and specify the rights of the accused in criminal and civil cases.
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