United States Essay

Submitted By kjg9598
Words: 519
Pages: 3

Katelyn Garner and Kaytlyn Blackmon / 10.14.14
American History Essay Prompt
After the ending of America’s Revolutionary War against Britain’s tyrannical rule, the
United States had no form of government. The Articles of Confederation were drafted at the
Continental Congress to create some form of order. However, the Articles were weak.
America’s leaders met at the Constitutional Convention to draft a new document, the
Constitution. The Constitution fixed issues the Articles helped to create, beginning with the legislature. The Articles of Confederation were weak and unstructured. They gave the states too much power, and did not unify the country. There were a set of rules established, but they were not enforced. Under the Articles, representation was confusing and haphazard. The number of delegates serving ranged anywhere from two to seven per state. Furthermore, it was the state's’ responsibility to pay each delegate’s salary instead of the national government, and a delegate could not hold two jobs where they’d be paid by both the state and national funds. The Articles reference term length in Article 5 Section 2 by saying “n o person shall be capable of being a delegate for more than three years in any term of six years..” This section, in itself, goes to show how unorganized the national government really was, and why a document such as the Constitution was so desperately needed.
The citizens as well as political leaders such as George Washington, James Madison, and John Adams saw the flaws and ineffectiveness of the Articles. They, and other leaders, met for the Constitutional Convention to reorganize the Articles, but it was ultimately decided that the United States needed a new structure altogether in the United States Constitution. In comparison to the Articles, the Constitution gave more details and power to legislature, as well as creating a bicameral government to better serve the people. The branch of Congress that is the Senate is chosen equally, with two delegates from each state. The House of

Representatives, however, has