A Necessary Model

After the American Revolution began, a struggle ensued which was centered on the need for a new system of government. The Second Continental Congress completed the Articles of Confederation in 1777 and the document was ratified in 1781. Although this system of government brought a long-desired change from the colonial government of the American colonies, a plethora of new issues soon arose. These grievances were manifested in Shays’ Rebellion and led to the Annapolis Convention in 1786, as well as the Conventional Convention the next year. While the Articles of Confederation had many problems, it would nevertheless be valid to say that they had an important transitory role which would allow for great improvements in the United States Constitution.

In a radical departure from the British system of government, the writers of the Articles of Confederation adopted a unicameral legislature. The national problems such as settlement and diplomacy soon alerted the government that amendments needed to be instated. Following the failure at Annapolis in 1786, it was becoming clear that perhaps an entirely new system of government would be necessary in order to fix the existing crises. The idea of returning to a bicameral legislature became connected to the new reform movements, along with the ideas of a balance of power and checks and balances. The shortcomings of the Articles of Confederation led the struggle for a new document that would allow more flexibility in the government.

Under the Articles of Confederation, Congress had very limited power. Coming from a government that was seen as tyrannical, the Americans were more than hesitant to give Congress any taxing powers. Congress was not able to tax or borrow money, which caused many economic problems when imports became cheap and hurt domestic products. These problems, along with Shays’ Rebellion, led Madison and others to realize that more economic weight must be given to the national government, which was one of the reasons for convening the Constitutional Congress in 1787. In Article I, Section 8, of the Constitution, Congress was given the power to collect taxes and duties, which was a manifestation of these economic grievances. Although the Articles of Confederation did not give Congress the authority to take necessary economic actions, they did serve as a launching pad for beneficial reassessments. (Brinkley, 2007)

Another key problem under the Articles of Confederation was the lack of an executive branch. With no powerhouse to enforce the laws, there was little regulation of laws that were passed. Having deserted the English model of government, the writers of the Articles of Confederation believed that a weak central government was best. However, with no power to adhere to the terms of the Treaty of Paris of 1783, Congress suffered under the Articles of Confederation. The failures that resulted from this structure of government drove reformists such as Madison and Hamilton to convene the Annapolis Convention in 1786 and later the Constitutional Convention in 1787.