The Declaration of Independence and the Major Issue of the US - Essay Example

The Declaration of Independence was one of the most pivotal pieces of the United States of America. When the members of the continental congress gathered in 1776, they understood that they will combat against Britain for their independence. The founding fathers acknowledged that in order to declare their liberty, they need to do so in a manner of a document that will outline their reasons for their liberation (“Purpose of the Declaration of Independence.”). The Declaration of Independence no doubt was vital because it united the colonists justified the reasons for liberation, and stated the salutary neglect that was enforced by the King. The scene in 1776 during the meeting of the Continental Congress in Philadelphia was a very crucial one. The colonists have already fought many battles together yet were missing on the aspect of unity(“Purpose of the Declaration of Independence.”). The Declaration of Independence was vital as it united the colonists since many were reluctant to break away from their birth nation. Many wanted to compromise and mend the relations with Great Britain. The Declaration of Independence boosted the unity of the colonists and boldly stated the justification for the separation from a ruthless regime (“Purpose of the Declaration of Independence.”). The new birth of a nation, independent from the British rule, was faced with new set of challenges. Undoubtedly, the birth of the new nation has no central government to replace the traditional statutory legislation of the British Parliament. Hence, issues such as commerce, trade, national security became vital issues. The members of the second had to take the obligation in the absence of a national government. The Articles of Confederation was a document that was supposed to define the separation of powers in both federal and state level. Since the Article of Confederation were adopted in March 1781, the government of the United States continued to enforce its federal powers. One of the most critical aspects regarding the Articles of Confederation was the fact that it did not create a solid foundation of a central power. The Articles of Confederation lacked giving power to the central government and gave too much power in the state level. Without the federal government’s ability to raise revenue in order to fund projects, the country fell apart. No leader such as a president had supreme authority to enact law. This was a huge obstacle for a young nation that was just revived of a victory, but essentially lacked the true substance of colonies not united to collaborate for one nation. The weaknesses present in Articles of Confederation plagued the entire government system enacted by the nation. The powers of the Continental Congress were limited and during a time in which the support to give power to a federal government was difficult. The federal government only had power to conduct foreign policy, war and setting some regular standards. It completely lacked a solid foundation of conducting trade, taxation, laws and could not combine states in a united movement. One cannot understand the weakness of the Articles of Confederation without understanding the 10th Amendment. The 10th Amendment explicitly elaborates on the rights of the states as written in a manner such as this, The Tenth Amendment is similar to an earlier provision of the Articles of Confederation as it states, "Each state retains its sovereignty, freedom, and independence, and every power, jurisdiction, and right, which is not by this Confederation expressly delegated to the United States, in Congress assembled." In addition, this amendment was introduced by Madison, who acknowledged that states wanted this right in order to secure their power. The states ratified this amendment in fear of the traditional government that abused their powers when the British were in charge. The whole essence of strong state level power in the government was to deter the efforts of a power that abused the colonies. The birth of a new nation meant that a leader needed to govern the country post war. John Hanson was the first president under the Articles of Confederation that took this obligation. Clearly, no one had taken this role until now. Hanson ran into big dilemmas under the Articles of Confederation. First and foremost was the fact, that Hanson had a huge role to fulfill. His actions would serve as precedent for all future presidents. After taking this position, he had to pay the troops that fought in the revolutionary war. Due to the federal government poor ability to be centralized and raise taxes, the soldiers threatened to oust him and put a new government. Hanson’s calm and cool ability to manage the troops and hold the country was a focal point in his career. Although it was not his fault in this particular issue, it raised serious questions about the revenue methods for the new nation. Another greatest weakness of the Articles of Confederation was the fact that a President could only serve a one-year term during any third period. Without Hanson or any other president lacking any power, the colonies completely dissolved any power that the central government possessed. Thus, the creation of the US Constitution was a catalyst of the failed Articles of Confederation that plagued the nation. ESSAY TW0-SLAVERY One of the major issues that needed to be resolved in the history of the United States was the slavery issue. The Civil war no doubt was a testament towards the bitter conflict that ended in blood shed. The three-fifths compromised was one of the “band-aid” resolutions that was aimed to solve the issue of slavery. North and Souter states during the Philadelphia Convention came up with this idea. The three-fifth compromised took in account of the population of slaves in order to represent states. Delegates that were against slavery to only count free individuals that resided in the state. Representatives that supported slavery consequently wanted to account for slaves in their actual presentation. Since slaves could not vote, slave holders would gain an upper hand in the representation of their respective state. The three-fifth compromise enabled both parties to reach a mutual agreement. Another issue that came up with slavery was to protect the triangle trade. The triangle trade operated in the late 16th 19th centuries, which transported slaves, cash crops, and manufactures goods between the colonies and European powers. The utilization of the African slaves were vital towards the economy of the colonies. The Articles of Confederation ensured that the colonies had a channel to run their economy post-revolutionary war. The use of African slaves was vital towards turning raw materials into finished goods. The sugar trade in essence was critical towards trade and commerce between sugar between Africa and the colonies. The Protection of the Triangle Trade depicted a profound conflict ready to erupt in the future years between the colonies. The “icing on the cake” that made the slavery issue dramatic was the fugitive slaves act. The fugitive Slaves act that was superseded by the 13th Amendment ensured that the slave owners would get their slaves back if they actually were to run. This act officially was stated and respected the entity of ownership of slaves from their respective owners. This law was also enacted in the Articles of Confederation and the U.S Constitution and persisted that runaway slaves had to be returned. This law became a precedent in which escaped slaves could be seized in any state. This law established a rule that any person that facilitates a slave would also be prisoned. With all these problems amounting, the need for a better document was vital. Here, a politician known as James Madison, stepped in to the picture. An American Politician that served as the fourth president of America, Madison propagated for the US Constitution and the author of the Bill of Rights, which lead to a strong central government. As a strong federalist, Madison’s creation of the US Constitution was critical towards creating a balanced government which can operative effectively. The division of power that was allocated between federal and state governments to protect citizen’s right was secured. The creation of the Bill of Rights laid a superb foundation of “life, liberty, and democracy.” Madison’s profound leadership and drafting this constitution was not only profound but necessary to investigate the notion of having a centralized government. The development of the constitution became the fundamental supreme law that is enacted up to this day. Works Cited Brant, Irving. James Madison. Indianapolis: Bobbs-Merrill, 194161. Print. The Articles of Confederation. Hoboken, N.J.: BiblioBytes ;, 199. Print.Jefferson, Thomas, and Sam Fink. The Declaration of Independence. Cincinnati: Scholastic Reference, 2002. Print. Read More