Roxanne Thomas
802
DBQ
During the early years of the republic, a variety of controversial issues divided the American people. Most of those issues were about the power of the National government against the power of the states. Some people believed that a strong central government was necessary for the success of the United States, while others was convinced that the power should stay within the states. These views caused the ratification of the constitution and purchase of the Louisiana Territory to become controversial.
The ratification of the constitution was a controversial issue during the 1700s. The ratification of the constitution caused much discussion between the federalists and antifederalists. The federalists supported the constitution, while the antifederalists opposed it. The constitution was created due to the fact that the Articles of Confederation failed. Under the Articles of Confederation, most power was given to the states. The states had to agree in order to get things done and this proved to be very difficult. The Articles of Confederation had a weak central government. This was based on the people. They thought that a strong central government would threaten their rights and they were afraid of another King or dictator. They did not give the central government enough power to govern or solve the economic problems they were experiencing and as a result no one knew if the U.S would make it.
In document 2, it stated that, “But whatever may be our situation, whether firmly united under one national government, or split into a number of confederacies, certain it is, that foreign nations will know and view it exactly as it is; and they will act toward us accordingly. If they see that our national government is efficient and well administered, our trade prudently regulated, our militia properly organized and disciplined, our resources and finances discreetly managed, our credit re-established, our people free, contented, and united, they will be much more disposed to cultivate our friendship than provoke our resentment”. This means that the federalists thought that a strong, central government was needed to earn respect and develop friendships from foreign nations. The federalists believed that the federal courts had limited control, leaving many areas of the law to the state and local courts. The antifederalists believed that the constitution gave too much power to the federal courts, at the expense of the state and local courts.
In document 3, it stated that, “In a republic of such vast extent as the United States, the legislature cannot attend to the various concerns and wants of its different parts. It cannot be sufficiently numerous to be acquainted with the local condition and wants of different districts, and if it could, it is impossible it should have sufficient time to attend to and provide for all the variety of cases of this nature, that would be continually arising”. This means that antifederalists thought that ...
