ran 3.8 miles
On this day, in 1781, the Articles of Confederation were ratified. These Articles were signed by Congress and issued to each state on November 15, 1777, after sixteen months of deliberation and argument. Due to land claims between Virginia and Maryland the final ratification by all states took nearly four years. The Articles of Confederation are something you don’t hear about often but they were the first attempt at what is currently our United States Constitution.
Our current United States Constitution became law mere years later in 1789. The difference between the Articles and the Constitution are defined most easily by their opening statements.
Articles of Confederation:
“To all to whom these Present shall come, we the undersigned Delegates of the States…”
U.S. Constitution:
“We the people of the United States do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”
The Articles of Confederation had clearly set out to give states sovereignty, or the undisputed executive ability to make their own decisions regardless of what directions fellow states took.
Articles of Confederation, Article II:
"Each state retains its sovereignty, freedom, and independence, and every power, jurisdiction, and right, which is not by this Confederation expressly delegated to the United States, in Congress assembled."
America had overthrown its own government for a second time in a little over twenty years. What had began as a confederation of sovereign states had quickly turned into a federal government of sovereign people.
In that brief period of time, America went from serving a sovereign king, to freely living in sovereign states, to freely living as a united sovereign people under a federal government.
It is interesting to note how history tends to repeat itself. Here in 2012, under President Barack Obama, many states are independently seeking to utilize what sovereignty they have left to avoid some of his more controversial legislation. The health care act has more than half of the states in America seeking an interstate compact to avoid Obama’s one-size-fits-all plan. The contraception mandate has an equal amount of states scrambling to define their own sovereign positions on the issue.
King George enraged the American colonies to seek independence and Americans formed a new government model on the foundation of states making their own decisions. Soon after, American leaders found more virtue in an equally united people under a federal government. And here we are now, divided as can be, with one handful of states doing everything they can to avoid some of the decisions the federal government is mandating and the others fully supporting the key legislation of the last three years.
Under President Obama, the Articles of Confederation look like a great idea to a great many, just as independence did from King George.
393.1 miles to go.
Here is what happened one year ago on Day185.
On this day, in 1781, the Articles of Confederation were ratified. These Articles were signed by Congress and issued to each state on November 15, 1777, after sixteen months of deliberation and argument. Due to land claims between Virginia and Maryland the final ratification by all states took nearly four years. The Articles of Confederation are something you don’t hear about often but they were the first attempt at what is currently our United States Constitution.
Our current United States Constitution became law mere years later in 1789. The difference between the Articles and the Constitution are defined most easily by their opening statements.
Articles of Confederation:
“To all to whom these Present shall come, we the undersigned Delegates of the States…”
U.S. Constitution:
“We the people of the United States do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”
The Articles of Confederation had clearly set out to give states sovereignty, or the undisputed executive ability to make their own decisions regardless of what directions fellow states took.
Articles of Confederation, Article II:
"Each state retains its sovereignty, freedom, and independence, and every power, jurisdiction, and right, which is not by this Confederation expressly delegated to the United States, in Congress assembled."
America had overthrown its own government for a second time in a little over twenty years. What had began as a confederation of sovereign states had quickly turned into a federal government of sovereign people.
In that brief period of time, America went from serving a sovereign king, to freely living in sovereign states, to freely living as a united sovereign people under a federal government.
It is interesting to note how history tends to repeat itself. Here in 2012, under President Barack Obama, many states are independently seeking to utilize what sovereignty they have left to avoid some of his more controversial legislation. The health care act has more than half of the states in America seeking an interstate compact to avoid Obama’s one-size-fits-all plan. The contraception mandate has an equal amount of states scrambling to define their own sovereign positions on the issue.
King George enraged the American colonies to seek independence and Americans formed a new government model on the foundation of states making their own decisions. Soon after, American leaders found more virtue in an equally united people under a federal government. And here we are now, divided as can be, with one handful of states doing everything they can to avoid some of the decisions the federal government is mandating and the others fully supporting the key legislation of the last three years.
Under President Obama, the Articles of Confederation look like a great idea to a great many, just as independence did from King George.
393.1 miles to go.
Here is what happened one year ago on Day185.
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