Essay On Articles Of Confederation Dbq

The era is 1785-1799, and the people of the states are hard at work. The Articles of Confederation were a slow and admittedly rocky start to the country, and many want this next document to cement their identity as a successful force. In desperate need of reform, delegates from 12 of the 13 states gather together in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The full extent of the country is finally dawning on people, who realize that such a large body of citizens will have clashes and issues. Many also realize that a central government is crucial to the success of a nation, but are worried that the new government will overpower the states. Still more people are concerned about the lack of promised equality and justice in the new states. In the era of the

A united kingdom, so to speak. The delegates have now realized that a central government is needed, but many are still worried that there are not enough checks and balances in place. Some do not think that a ruler could have dominion over such an extensive country and not take absolute control (Doc. A). Patrick Henry, the author of the document, was a leading orator during that time. His famous speech “Give me Liberty or give me Death” resonates well with the audience. He is known to have resented British tyranny, and rightfully does not wish the same for the states. His preconceived idea of a central government is significant in his view of the Constitution. He is not convinced that the Constitution will provide the checks and balances necessary for a successful central government. The Federalists countered these claims nicely by establishing a clause in the Constitution. In the end, three branches of government were established. No one branch can accomplish something without the approval from another. The framers of the Constitution successfully countered this argument by creating a well-thought out system of checks and balances held together by the limitations each branch

The new Constitution proposes to count slaves as three-fifths of a person. While most people will still not count slaves as people who can exercise free will, the simple truth is that the power is given so that people who own slaves have more power (Doc. C). The significance of the geographical and historical context of this document is important. Given in New York, many of the people in the audience do not hold such deep roots with slavery. Many even oppose the idea. During this time, people are not only talking about freedom for themselves. Many on the East Coast are wondering about freedom for the slaves. The standpoint from which the document comes from is very significant in terms of the historical context-- this type of issue will happen again in the near future. The morality of owning slaves, yet wanting freedom and even opposing slavery itself will become a very large issue. This type of thinking will carry on to the Civil War, when the North and the South will battle, and one of the issues will be of slavery. At the present, it can be noted that there is no real counter-argument to this claim, as the very foundation of the apportionment is unjust. If one wants to treat Africans as sub-human, one should treat them like that all the time, and not manipulate the system to guarantee them more seats in the government. Some also point out that the Constitution does not have a clause on impressing soldiers; this