Myconstitution.info
Discussion Hall => Articles of Confederation => Topic started by: Jim Nunziato on February 10, 2014, 11:07:31 AM
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The Articles of Confederation (http://myconstitution.info/website/articlesofconfederation.html), passed by the US Continental Congress on November 15, 1777, was enacted on March 1, 1781 as the founding constitution of the United States of America. The "Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union" established the United States of America as a sovereign nation governed by the United States in Congress Assembled.
It didn't take long to realize that the Articles of Confederation were flawed:
- Congress could request states to pay taxes but had no enforcement power on those who did not.
- No system of federal courts was provided.
- There was no provision to regulate interstate trade.
- There was no "Executive" with power. The president of U.S. merely presided over Congress.
- A unanimous vote was required to amend any Article. Any state had veto power over any change with which it disagreed.
- Each state received 1 vote regardless of size.
- Congress could not draft troops, but rather, depended on states to contribute military personnel.
- Sovereignty resided in the states.
Troubles with the existing Confederation of States finally convinced the Continental Congress, in February 1787, to call for a convention of delegates to meet in May in Philadelphia "to devise such further provisions as shall appear to them necessary to render the constitution of the Federal Government adequate to the exigencies of the Union."
From this convention was born our Constitution.