Formation of American Federal Government - Essay Example

? Formation of American Federal Government Introduction The United s Federal Convention otherwise called the Constitutional Convention held from May 14 to September 17, 1781, in Philadelphia. It was convened to discuss the problems related to the governing of United States of America, because since the independence from Great Britain, it had been functioning under the Articles of Confederation. The main aim of the convention was to revise the Articles of Confederation, but many of the proponents expressed their intention of creating a new government rather than maintaining the existing one. The convention, being George Washington as its president, brought forward the Constitution of the United States, which marked the convention as a crucial episode in the history of the United States. There had been numerous deliberations out of the Convention, among which the final document was derived after a lot of discussions and grueling debates. Pinckney Plan The Pinckney plan was a plan of government introduced by South Carolina’s Charles Pinckney on May 29, 1787, the same day on which Randolph initiated the Virginia Plan. As Vile (580) states, Pinckney had not maintained it on any writing and the only evidence was the Madison’s notes which were not very reliable. It was all about a treaty among the 13 states. His idea was to hold a house having a member for thousand inhabitants and to elect a Senator for four years and also elect cabinet members. He also suggested for a Federal Judicial Court. Pinckney’s plan was not opposed but left for the decision of the Committee of Detail. Virginia Plan The Virginia plan was actually formulated even before the convention by the delegates from Virginia, on their meeting to discuss on the Madison’s thoughts, notes, and works. Edmund Randolph, the governor of Virginia presented the plan on May 29, 1787, which was also called the Large State Plan. The plans suggested for the establishment of houses of legislature proportionally, making it a ‘controlling bicameral administration’ (Vile, 428). The plan proposed that the upper class would be elected by the lower and the lower would be elected by the people. It also suggested for a judiciary. New Jersey Plan William Paterson, a delegate of the New Jersey proposed the New Jersey Plan, asking for an adjournment to contemplate the Virginia plan. The suggestion to make the legislature houses in proportion would limit the authority of smaller states. Therefore the smaller sates discussed to respond to the Virginian Plan and brought forward the New Jersey Plan, also known as Small State Plan. This plan was entirely against the Virginia Plan, and asked to fix the problems of Articles of Confederation by amendment. According to Vile (583), The New Jersey Plan stood for the Congress to be given more powers and to sustain the existing Continental Congress. The plan created an executive branch for a single term and a judiciary for life, appointed by the executives. Finally, any law implemented by Congress would proceed over the state laws. However at the presentation of the plan, it was rejected. Hamilton’s Plan On the dissatisfaction of the previous plans, the Hamilton Plan otherwise called the British Plan was introduced by Alexander Hamilton, having similarity with the powerful centralized British government. Hamilton came up with the idea of abolish state control and merge the state into a single nation. His plan suggested for the bicameral legislature, the lower house elected for three years by the public and the upper class elected for life bye the lower class. The national governing body enjoys the “veto power over any state administration”; it also proposed a Governor being elected by the electors and holds the office for a life-term service (Vile, 583). Slavery and Connecticut Compromise The most debated issue among the delegates was slavery. The regulation of slavery was a question of controversy between the South and North, as 40 percent of the population of South was slaves. Conflicts aroused regarding the matter whether the slaves are to be considered as part of the population or to be considered as property with no right for representation. States where slavery had been abolished supported for including slaves in taxation but not allowing them for representation. Finally, convention adopted the Three-Fifth Compromise introduced by James Wilson. But the question about the abolition of slavery remained unattended, as Georgia and the two Carolinas threatened to leave the convention if slave trade would be banned. Blending the Virginia plan and New Jersey Plans, Roger Sherman introduced the Connecticut Compromise on June 11, suggesting for a two-house national legislature. He suggested that the representative’s should be from free inhabitants. Though his proposal failed at the convention, later it was settled down. The Great Compromise and the Final Document Finally, the members came into a compromise with regard to taxation. The decision was to levy “direct tax according to the representation; and the representation of the lower house based on the white inhabitants and three-fifth of the other people” (“Constitution”). Having two months of reviews and discussions, the representatives made a central framework of the new government for substituting the Confederation. A “Committee on Detail” was formed on July 26, 1787, to put in writing the decisions of the convention into a unified document, and the convention was adjourned for two weeks. Packed with various resolutions of the convention, the constitutions of different states, and the articles of Confederation, the new committee started their work at full strength. The first draft was written by Edmund Randolph and the committee discussed and modified it. Later James Wilson drafted a second copy and distributed to all delegates of the Convention. On September 17, the Committee of Style made the final draft of the constitution with modifications and was singed by all the delegates. It was then sent to the Confederal Congress from where it was passed and forwarded for ratification. In total, the formation of American Federal Government involved highly intense discussions and arguments. Although the objective of the Federal Convention was to revise the articles of confederation, eventually it gave way to the origin of American Federal Government. Works Cited “Constitution of the United States, A more perfect union: the creation of the U.S Constitution.” The Charters of Freedom. (n.d). Web. 05 June 2011 http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/constitution_history.html Viley, John R. The Constitutional Convention of 1787: A Comprehensive Encyclopedia of Americas Founding. USA: ABC-CLIO, 2005. Print. Read More