The purpose of this research paper is to analyze the growth and development of the newly formed United States of America. It will briefly discuss any events leading up to the production and authorization of the Articles of Confederation and the United States of America Constitution. Various components of the Constitution that apply directly to the executive leadership and Congress will also be addressed and applied to events that took place during the presidency of philosopher, diplomat, and Founding Father, Mr. James Madison before the Spanish American War. James Madison was America’s fourth president from the year of 1809 to 1817. Of his vital role in writing and endorsing the United States Bill of Rights and the Constitution of the United States, he is the president of choice for this paper.
Introduction
At the start of the newly formed country of the United States of America, many advisers surfaced, and the nation’s government began to develop. Leaders such as President James Madison set the precedent by declaring war and advocating for the freedom of the colonists which soon, upcoming leaders and activists would adhere to and continue for centuries. It took decades for the construction of structure within our government. This paper will briefly address the foundation of the United States of America’s government, through the years before the Spanish American War. It will ultimately cover the overall impact of the historical relations within the country by discussing ways in which international relations were pursued, the force was projected, and the congressional restrictions on presidential actions.
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International relations
In the early 1800s, the United States of America was suffering from a vulnerable federal government, which left the country at risk for several issues including international conflict. The United States of America’s first written constitution was the Articles of Confederation. Under this constitution, Congress granted the authority to create alliances, form militias to assist with armed forces, conduct trades with neighboring countries, and hold deals with other foreign governments. The U.S. was made up of various state governments that worked separately without organization. As a result, several international threats were formed against the nation. Many other nations such as but not limited to, Spain and France threatened the U.S. on several occasions by simply imposing taxes, disregarding treaties, and avoiding the opportunity for expansion.
In addition, The Articles of Confederation granted Congress the ability to orchestrate rules and demand funds from states without the power of enforcement. The states became freeloaders, simply enjoying funds and other benefits of the Confederation without paying for them. According to an article entitled, “We have not a government”, the author states the following, “Because the Confederation lacked either an independent source of revenue or enforcement power over the states, it proved unable to resolve several challenges that faced the United States in the aftermath of the Revolutionary War” (Leibiger, 2019, p. 350).
In the year 1783, Congress began to face several domestic and foreign issues regarding war debts needing to be paid to establish national credit. All attempts to raise revenue began to fail. These alarming failures began to convince many Americans, that the Confederation was declining and that they needed to move towards political reform through a new constitutional convention. Cooter and Siegel (2010) stated “The problems of collective action confronting America in 1787 necessitated a government with many more powers than were possessed by Congress under the Articles-including the great powers to tax, to raise and support armies, and to regulate commerce.
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