The American colonists had fought a bitter war in order to achieve their independence from an oppressive British government. Therefore, the Articles of Confederation were drafted in order to ensure that a strong central government would not be a problem.
Problems Under the Articles of Confederation.
The Articles of Confederation created a very weak central government. It required too much in order to govern. The writers of the Articles wrote it that way. They feared at a strong central government would take away individual freedoms and rights.Problems created by the Articles of Confederation Congress could not collect taxes, Congress could not print or coin money. States printed or coined their own money, causing confusion between the states, Congress could not regulate trade between states or between other countries and our nation, Congress could not raise an army - so it was difficult to protect the nation,There was no central figure in charge of government, in other words, no chief executive. There were some good things that happened while the United States was governed by the Articles of Confederation. First, the Treaty of Paris (1783) was signed. Second, the Northwest Ordinance of 1787 was passed. The Northwest Ordinance required the Northwest Territory to be surveyed and land sold to new settlers. When smaller areas' population reached 2,000, they could become territories. When new territorie's populations reached 60,000, they could become new states.
The Constitutional Convention.
After Shay's Rebellion, it was apparent to most Americans that the central government needed to be stronger. So, in 1878, 55 delegates met in Philadelphia to improve the Articles of Confederation. What actually happened, the U.S. Constitution was written.
Ratifying the Constitution - Arguments for and Against.
People against the constitution were the Anti-Federalists. In 1787, several prominent Anti-Federalists published editorials in the New York Times under pen names such as Cato and Brutus.