The American Revolution and the Growth of a Nation

In 1776, the Declaration of Independence stated a number of principles that became important in American political life. Written by Thomas Jefferson, the document is perhaps most famous today for its second line, “We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal,” but it laid forth a number of important principles. Jefferson invoked natural law and claimed that governments existed to serve their citizens. If governments stopped doing that, citizens were free to form a new government. The declaration also listed a number of grievances with the king that would be revisited during the debate about a new constitution.

Because the Articles of Confederation proved inadequate, in 1787 representatives from all the states met in Philadelphia to draft a new constitution in meetings that lasted from May to September. Different states wanted different things. New Jersey, reflecting the interests of the smaller states, put forth the New Jersey Plan, which would give each state one vote. Virginia, reflecting the interests of the larger states, submitted the Virginia Plan, which allotted seats in the legislature based on population.

The resulting compromise became known as the Connecticut Compromise. It combined aspects of both plans to balance power between larger and smaller states by creating the Senate and the House of Representatives. The other stumbling block was over slavery. New England had largely eliminated slavery, but it existed in all other states, most predominantly in the South. The Southern delegates refused any changes that could threaten the status of slavery. The compromise they accepted was banning the international slave trade in 1808 and counting each enslaved person as three-fifths of a person for determining representation.

The last hurdle was a bill of rights. Some representatives, such as Alexander Hamilton, felt it was unnecessary, but others, such as James Madison, felt it was critical to Americans who were worried about the central government being too strong.

CONNECTIONS
When you study government and civics, think about how the early history you’ve learned shaped the Constitution. For example, how did the Bill of Rights address problems the Americans faced when they were still in the British Empire?

Early Americans were also interested in westward expansion. One of their quarrels with the British had been the restrictions placed on settlements in Ohio and Kentucky, and with independence, Americans seeking land began pushing the boundaries of the country. This would later become an idea known as Manifest Destiny, which was the belief that the United States should expand across the entire continent.

Example

Why did Americans want to replace the Articles of Confederation?

The correct answer is D. Under the Articles of Confederation, the central government could not raise taxes or manage state governments.