The Articles Of Confederation

The Articles of Confederation was adopted by Congress in 1777 and translated into French to show them that they had a genuine government in the works. They provided of a confederation and linked the states together. The Article of Confederation were weak but they provided a landmark in government. It was the stepping stone toward the Constitution. Although the Articles was a good foundation to start with, they needed change and the constitution was there to take its place.

The dilemma over the whether or not the Articles should stay or be replaced by the Constitution lead to the division of two groups know as the Federalists and Anti-Federalists. The Federalists were for the Constitution , while the Anti-federalists were pro-Articles of the Confederation. The Anti-federalists viewed the Constitution as undemocratic and they were alarmed by the absence of a bill of rights. To the Federalists, the Articles were weak and did no properly unite the nation. James Madison wrote "In the extent and proper structure of the Union, therefore, we behold a republican remedy for the diseases most incident to republican government. And according to the degree of pleasure and pride we feel in being republicans, ought to be our zeal in cherishing the spirit and supporting the character of Federalists."# This showed the Federalists urge to form a strong proper government. They wanted a government with structure and the Constitution gave them that. Like the foundation of a building, the Constitution was strong and sturdy. It would be able to hold up to the pressure.

The Constitution on the other hand many things that the Articles of Confederation did not. The Constitution set up the electoral college that elects the President., a system of checks and balances, a system

of federal courts, the Supreme Court, the two Houses of Congress, and it had power over states and individuals. It created both a federal and national government whereas the Article of Confederation gave more power to the states. It had the power to raise an army, the power to tax, and the power to control trade. The Articles had none of these powers. Alexander Hamilton wrote "If we embrace the tenets of those who oppose the adoption of the proposed Constitution, as the standard of our political creed, we cannot fail to verify the gloomy doctrines which predict the impracticability of a national system pervading entire limits of the present Confederacy."# He knew that the Article of Confederation had limits. These limits could have crippled the nation and tore