US Congress M2 D
Put yourself in the position of a member of the First Congress and consider the following. Were you comfortable leaving your home and family to travel over muddy, rutted roads in foul weather to take your place in Congress that was charged with creating a new government? Do you know the concerns of your state; how will you ensure they get included? Do you come from a border state with indigenous tribes that may attack? Are you a northerner suspicious of southerners, or vice versa?
Despite acquiescing to compromises during the Constitutional Convention, most founders looked to the new Congress to address pressing issues immediately. Alexander Hamilton, for example, wanted to ensure that the new nation would have a stable economy. Further, while the Convention compromised on slavery, abolitionists intended for their position to be addressed by Congress.
Thinking about the First Congress, the many challenges – and dangers – surrounding it, did the first four Articles of the Constitution make it possible for the First Congress to promote national security and stability? How successful do you think the First Congress was overall?
Please post a response of at least 250-275 words, and a shorter response (approx. 125 words) to one of your fellow students.
ANSWER
US Congress M2 D
Being a member of the First Congress, I was comfortable leaving my home and family to create a new government in the attempt of the United States to govern itself as an independent country. The main concern of Alabama is employment and slavery. Alabama has been known for expanding and supporting slavery, which has led to tensions between the former indentured servants and settlers and increased the pressure on new labour sources. Therefore, I will put Alabama first in national legislation or grant funding focused on creating jobs that will put Alabama people back to work. Southern states such as Alabama were largely rural and only focused on plantation agriculture.
Some of the challenges of the First Congress was that each state had a single vote despite their size. Congress was short of control to tax or control national and global commerce. This is because no administrative branches would implement the acts conceded by Congress (Loomis and Schiller, 2018). Therefore, there was no responsibility or order. Additionally, there lacked a unified response to the increasingly restrictive and hard British Rule. The weakness in the Articles of Confederation became apparent, commanding no support and less respect from the state governments. The four articles of the constitution effectively promoted national security and stability since they focused on forming a perfect unit, promoting the general welfare and common defence and protecting the liberty of the United States. For instance, through the four articles, Congress has the power to establish regulations and rules that respect the United States territory and other property that belongs to the United States, as well as protect all the states from Invasion.
The First Congress was generally successful in addressing the concerns of ratification and the creation of federal architecture. The First Congress was overall quite successful in its achievement of Rights and established many of the federal government’s key institutions. It also set a precedent for future Congresses by demonstrating that the legislative branch could be an effective governing body (Loomis and Schiller, 2018). However, some areas in which the First Congress fell short. For example, it could not agree on a national bank or establish a uniform currency system. Additionally, its failure to ratify the Articles of Confederation meant that the states did not officially recognize the new government until after the Second Congress had already been convened. Overall, though, the First Congress can be seen as a success in establishing the foundations of the new government.
References
Loomis, B. A., & Schiller, W. J. (2018). The contemporary Congress. Rowman & Littlefield.
