Weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation

The new constitution was written in 1787 for several reasons. First off, the Articles of Confederation gave the states too much power. Secondly, there was no power for the federal government to tax. Lastly, the Articles of Confederation did not do what it was supposed to do, protect the rights of the people. So overall, the new constitution was written in 1787, because the states had too much power, the federal government could not tax its citizens, and the Articles of Confederation did not protect the rights of its people.

To start things off, the Articles of Confederation allowed the states to have unprecedented power. States could make their own foreign policies, and make war with other states or countries. For example, New York could suddenly attack Florida, because Florida did not follow through with New York's policy on farming. Sometimes it's better if the country as a whole decides. The federal government could not change or amend the constitution unless a unanimous vote was cast by the states. Also to pass a law, 9 out of 13 states had to vote for it, which makes it hard for the federal government to pass or amend any laws. With the Articles of Confederation standing, it was inevitable that there was going to be a new constitution.

Moreover, the Articles of Confederation limit the federal on its taxing powers. The states could set up their own state taxes. The federal government could not tax the states for federal funding. Everything is dependent on state laws. The federal government is practically useless if it cannot tax to achieve sufficient funding. This would especially impact the United States of America if it were to go to war. Since the federal government could not tax, it could not fund the army. This would, in turn, make America suffer tragic losses and maybe even lose its new found independence. Yet, this is another reason to make a change in the constitution.

Most importantly, the Articles of Confederation did not do its job; protect the rights of the people. America just fought to be independent from Great Britain. Later, wealthy white land owners start taking control of the government to suit their needs, even though it was the small farmers that helped fight the war. A man named Daniel Shays was a revolutionary war veteran, and he was appalled when what he fought against is still in America. So Shays, and many others, started a rebellion to make a point. The Articles of Confederation did a poor job in conserving the rights of the people, which is what the patriots fought so hard for.

Overall, the Articles of Confederation needed to be changed. So in 1787, a new constitution was made. Reasons were numerous but a few stick out of the pack. First, the States had too much power. Secondly, the central government had no power to tax. Lastly, the Articles of Confederation just did not live up to its people's expectations. The Constitution we have now fixes the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation. It provides checks and balances, it gave the central government more power, and it gave the people its natural rights. The constitution was the building block of the new United States of America.