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The United States Constitution

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Running head: The United States Constitution

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Steps that went into the making of the U.S. Constitution
Thesis: By 1785, it had become clear that the regime of the Articles of Confederation was making it hard to resolve key issues. * Introduction * The Articles of confederation * Loose and clumsy confederation * Weak central government for a nation of thirteen states * No control over commerce * Conflicting laws regarding navigation and tariffs * Lacked an effective tax system * The Annapolis convention -1786 * Meeting lightly attended, only twelve delegates from five states * Proposal for a convention by all states in Philadelphia later * Convention to revise the articles of confederation * The Philadelphia convention -1787 (Brinkley, 2010) * The writing and adoption of a new Constitution * Abolishment of Articles of Confederation * Delegates from twelve states except Rhode Island * The Virginia Plan- James Madison, May, 1787 * Introduction of the plan * Edmund Randolph, governor for Virginia * Structure of the proposed national government * Separate executive * Separate judicial department * Bicameral legislature * The New Jersey Plan-June, 1787 * An alternative to the Virginia Plan * Retention of the Articles of Confederation * Making amendments * Plan was supported by the small states, fear of non-proportional representation in the national congress * Rejection of the New Jersey Plan * The legislature branch * Organization for the national legislature * Removal of equal vote of every state in the legislature * The Connecticut

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