POLS 5100 Stanford University Founding of the US Constitution Reflection Paper This assignment is to write a reflective paper on the assigned readings in t

POLS 5100 Stanford University Founding of the US Constitution Reflection Paper This assignment is to write a reflective paper on the assigned readings in the first module of the course, the founding of the United States Constitution. The paper is to be a minimum of three and maximum of five pages in length, double-spaced, with standard margins and no cover page. Make sure you include your name and “Reflection Paper #1” on the first page of the paper.

The main purpose of this assignment is for you to reflect on and express what you learned from the assigned readings, and your opinion as to the validity, strengths, or weaknesses of the arguments presented. It is important that your paper is coherent, uses correct grammar, punctuation and spelling, and expresses your own conclusions and points of view. Your grade will be based on the quality of your writing, and its completeness in considering each of the assigned readings: the Articles of Confederation, Berkin, Lazare, and Rabkin. You should carefully cite any writings that are not your own. Your paper will be scanned for plagiarism.

You should consider and respond to the following questions, however, you are not limited to addressing these questions. You will likely have questions of your own that should be addressed.

What problems had resulted from the Articles of Confederation that the delegates needed to address?

What were the main controversies and issues the delegates faced during the Constitutional Convention and how were they addressed?

Did any of these controversies linger after the Constitution was adopted, and if so, are they still present or have they been entirely resolved?

What are the difficulties Lazare raises with the Constitution as an 18th Century document, and what do you think about the arguments he raises?

What is your take on the analysis by Rabkin, and do you agree or disagree with him, or is there a way to reconcile his point of view with Lazare? [1231]
ARTICLES OF CONFEDERATION
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
While the Declaration of Independence was under consideration in
the Continental Congress, and before it was finally agreed upon, measures were taken for the establishment of a constitutional form of government; and on the 11th of June, 1776, it was ‘‘Resolved, That a committee
be appointed to prepare and digest the form of a confederation to be
entered into between these Colonies’’; which committee was appointed
the next day, June 12, and consisted of a member from each Colony,
namely: Mr. Bartlett, Mr. S. Adams, Mr. Hopkins, Mr. Sherman, Mr.
R. R. Livingston, Mr. Dickinson, Mr. McKean, Mr. Stone, Mr. Nelson,
Mr. Hewes, Mr. E. Rutledge, and Mr. Gwinnett. On the 12th of July,
1776, the committee reported a draft of the Articles of Confederation,
which was printed for the use of the members under the strictest injunctions of secrecy.
This report underwent a thorough discussion in Congress, from time
to time, until the 15th of November, 1777; on which day, ‘‘Articles
of Confederation and Perpetual Union’’ were finally agreed to in form,
and they were directed to be proposed to the legislatures of all the
United States, and if approved by them, they were advised to authorize
their delegates to ratify the same in the Congress of the United States;
and in that event they were to become conclusive. On the 17th of November, 1777, the Congress agreed upon the form of a circular letter to
accompany the Articles of Confederation, which concluded with a recommendation to each of the several legislatures ‘‘to invest its delegates
with competent powers, ultimately, and in the name and behalf of the
State, to subscribe articles of confederation and perpetual union of the
United States, and to attend Congress for that purpose on or before
the 10th day of March next.’’ This letter was signed by the President
of Congress and sent, with a copy of the articles, to each State legislature.
On the 26th of June, 1778, Congress agreed upon the form of a
ratification of the Articles of Confederation, and directed a copy of the
articles and the ratification to be engrossed on parchment; which, on
the 9th of July, 1778, having been examined and the blanks filled,
was signed by the delegates of New Hampshire, Massachusetts Bay,
Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, Connecticut, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and South Carolina. Congress then directed that a
circular letter be addressed to the States whose delegates were not
present, or being present, conceived they were not authorized to sign
the ratification, informing them how many and what States had ratified
the Articles of Confederation, and desiring them, with all convenient
dispatch, to authorize their delegates to ratify the same. Of these States,
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ARTICLES OF CONFEDERATION
North Carolina ratified on the 21st and Georgia on the 24th of July,
1778; New Jersey on the 26th of November following; Delaware on
the 5th of May, 1779; Maryland on the 1st of March, 1781; and on
the 2d of March, 1781, Congress assembled under the new form of
government.
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ARTICLES OF CONFEDERATION 1
ACT OF CONFEDERATION OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 1231.1
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, WE THE
UNDERSIGNED DELEGATES OF THE STATES AFFIXED TO
OUR NAMES, SEND GREETINGS
Whereas the Delegates of the United States of America
in Congress assembled did on the 15th day of November
in the Year of our Lord One Thousand Seven Hundred
and Seventy seven, and in the Second Year of the Independence of America agree to certain articles of Confederation and perpetual Union between the states of
Newhampshire, Massachusetts-bay, Rhodeisland and
Providence Plantations, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North
Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia in the Words following, viz.
‘‘ARTICLES OF CONFEDERATION AND PERPETUAL UNION BETWEEN THE STATES OF NEWHAMPSHIRE, MASSACHUSETTSBAY, RHODEISLAND AND PROVIDENCE PLANTATIONS, CONNECTICUT, NEW YORK, NEW JERSEY, PENNSYLVANIA, DELAWARE, MARYLAND, VIRGINIA, NORTH CAROLINA, SOUTH
CAROLINA AND GEORGIA
ARTICLE I. The Stile of this confederacy shall be ‘‘The
United States of America.’’
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.
1231.2
1231.3
1 Adopted by the Continental Congress on November 15, 1777, while meeting
at York, Pennsylvania, which served as the site of the National Capital from
September 30, 1777, to June 27, 1778. Ratification of the Articles by the respective
delegates commenced on July 9, 1778, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, but was
not completed until March 1, 1781, when the Articles were signed by the delegates
from Maryland.
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ARTICLES OF CONFEDERATION
1231.4
1231.5
1231.6
ARTICLE III. The said states hereby severally enter into
a firm league of friendship with each other, for their common defence, the security of their Liberties, and their
mutual and general welfare, binding themselves to assist
each other, against all force offered to, or attacks made
upon them, or any of them, on account of religion, sovereignty, trade, or any other pretence whatever.
ARTICLE IV. The better to secure and perpetuate mutual
friendship and intercourse among the people of the different states in this union, the free inhabitants of each
of these states, paupers, vagabonds and fugitives from
Justice excepted, shall be entitled to all privileges and
immunities of free citizens in the several states, and the
people of each state shall have free ingress and regress
to and from any other state, and shall enjoy therein all
the privileges of trade and commerce, subject to the same
duties, impositions and restrictions as the inhabitants
thereof respectively, provided that such restrictions shall
not extend so far as to prevent the removal of property
imported into any state, to any other state of which the
Owner is an inhabitant, provided also that no imposition,
duties or restriction shall be laid by any state, on the
property of the united states, or either of them.
If any Person guilty of, or charged with treason, felony
or other high misdemeanor in any state, shall flee from
Justice, and be found in any of the united states, he
shall upon demand of the Governor or executive power,
of the state from which he fled, be delivered up and removed to the state having jurisdiction of his offence.
Full faith and credit shall be given in each of these
states to the records, acts and judicial proceedings of the
courts and magistrates of every other state.
ARTICLE V. For the more convenient management of
the general interest of the united states, delegates shall
be annually appointed in such manner as the legislature
of each state shall direct, to meet in Congress on the
first Monday in November, in every year, with a power
reserved to each state, to recall its delegates, or any of
them, at any time within the year, and to send others
in their stead, for the remainder of the Year.
No state shall be represented in Congress by less than
two, nor by more than seven Members; and no person
shall be capable of being a delegate for more than three
years in any term of six years; nor shall any person,
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ARTICLES OF CONFEDERATION
being a delegate, be capable of holding any office under
the united states, for which he, or another for his benefit
receives any salary, fees or emolument of any kind.
Each state shall maintain its own delegates in a meeting of the states, and while they act as members of the
committee of the states.
In determining questions in the united states, in Congress assembled, each state shall have one vote.
Freedom of speech and debate in Congress shall not
be impeached or questioned in any Court, or place out
of Congress, and the members of congress shall be protected in their persons from arrests and imprisonments,
during the time of their going to and from, and attendance
on congress, except for treason, felony, or breach of the
peace.
ARTICLE VI. No state without the Consent of the united
states in congress assembled, shall send any embassy to,
or receive any embassy from, or enter into any conference,
agreement, alliance or treaty with any King, prince or
state; nor shall any person holding any office of profit
or trust under the united states, or any of them, accept
of any present, emolument, office or title of any kind
whatever from any king, prince or foreign state; nor shall
the united states in congress assembled, or any of them,
grant any title of nobility.
No two or more states shall enter into any treaty, confederation or alliance whatever between them, without
the consent of the united states in congress assembled,
specifying accurately the purposes for which the same
is to be entered into, and how long it shall continue.
No state shall lay any imposts of duties, which may
interfere with any stipulations in treaties, entered into
by the united states in congress assembled with any king,
prince or state, in pursuance of any treaties already proposed by congress to the courts of France and Spain.
No vessels of war shall be kept up in time of peace
by any state, except such number only, as shall be deemed
necessary by the united states in congress assembled, for
the defence of such state, or its trade; nor shall any body
of forces be kept up by any state, in time of peace, except
such number only, as in the judgment of the united states,
in congress assembled, shall be deemed requisite to garrison the forts necessary for the defence of such state; but
every state shall always keep up a well regulated and
1231.7
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ARTICLES OF CONFEDERATION
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1231.9
disciplined militia, sufficiently armed and accoutred, and
shall provide and constantly have ready for use, in public
stores, a due number of field-pieces and tents, and a proper quantity of arms, ammunition and camp equipage.
No state shall engage in any war without the consent
of the united states in congress assembled, unless such
state be actually invaded by enemies, or shall have received certain advice of a resolution being formed by some
nation of Indians to invade such state, and the danger
is so imminent as not to admit of a delay, till the united
states in congress assembled can be consulted: nor shall
any state grant commissions to any ships or vessels of
war, nor letters of marque or reprisal, except it be after
a declaration of war by the united states in Congress
assembled, and then only against the kingdom or state
and the subjects thereof, against which war has been so
declared, and under such regulations as shall be established by the united states in congress assembled, unless
such state be infested by pirates, in which case vessels
of war may be fitted out for that occasion, and kept so
long as the danger shall continue, or until the united
states in congress assembled shall determine otherwise.
ARTICLE VII. When land-forces are raised by any state
for the common defence, all officers of or under the rank
of colonel, shall be appointed by the legislature of each
state respectively by whom such forces shall be raised,
or in such manner as such state shall direct, and all
vacancies shall be filled up by the state which first made
the appointment.
ARTICLE VIII. All charges of war, and all other expences
that shall be incurred for the common defence or general
welfare, and allowed by the united states in congress assembled, shall be defrayed out of a common treasury,
which shall be supplied by the several states, in proportion to the value of all land within each state, granted
to or surveyed for any Person, as such land and the buildings and improvements thereon shall be estimated according to such mode as the united states in congress assembled, shall from time to time direct and appoint.
The taxes for paying that proportion shall be laid and
levied by the authority and direction of the legislatures
of the several states within the time agreed upon by the
united states in congress assembled.
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ARTICLES OF CONFEDERATION
ARTICLE IX. The united states in congress assembled,
shall have the sole and exclusive right and power of determining on peace and war, except in the cases mentioned
in the sixth article—of sending and receiving
embassadors—entering into treaties and alliances, provided that no treaty of commerce shall be made whereby
the legislative power of the respective states shall be restrained from imposing such imposts and duties on foreigners, as their own people are subjected to, or from
prohibiting the exportation or importation of any species
of goods or commodities whatsoever—of establishing rules
for deciding in all cases, what captures on land or water
shall be legal, and in what manner prizes taken by land
or naval forces in the service of the united states shall
be divided or appropriated—of granting letters of marque
and reprisal in times of peace—appointing courts for the
trial of piracies and felonies committed on the high seas
and establishing courts for receiving and determining finally appeals in all cases of captures, provided that no
member of congress shall be appointed a judge of any
of the said courts.
The united states in congress assembled shall also be
the last resort on appeal in all disputes and differences
now subsisting or that hereafter may arise between two
or more states concerning boundary, jurisdiction or any
other cause whatever, which authority shall always be
exercised in the manner following. Whenever the legislative or executive authority or lawful agent of any state
in controversy with another shall present a petition to
congress stating the matter in question and praying for
a hearing, notice thereof shall be given by order of congress to the legislative or executive authority of the other
state in controversy, and a day assigned for the appearance of the parties by their lawful agents, who shall then
be directed to appoint by joint consent, commissioners
or judges to constitute a court for hearing and determining the matter in question: but if they cannot agree,
congress shall name three persons out of each of the
united states, and from the list of such persons each party
shall alternately strike out one, the petitioners beginning,
until the number shall be reduced to thirteen; and from
that number not less than seven, nor more than nine
names as congress shall direct, shall in the presence of
congress be drawn out by lot, and the persons whose
1231.10
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ARTICLES OF CONFEDERATION
names shall be so drawn or any five of them, shall be
commissioners or judges, to hear and finally determine
the controversy, so always as a major part of the judges
who shall hear the cause shall agree in the determination:
and if either party shall neglect to attend at the day
appointed, without showing reasons, which congress shall
judge sufficient, or being present shall refuse to strike,
the congress shall proceed to nominate three persons out
of each State, and the secretary of congress shall strike
in behalf of such party absent or refusing; and the judgment and sentence of the court to be appointed, in the
manner before prescribed, shall be final and conclusive;
and if any of the parties shall refuse to submit to the
authority of such court, or to appear or defend their claim
or cause, the court shall nevertheless proceed to pronounce sentence, or judgment, which shall in like manner
be final and decisive, the judgment or sentence and other
proceedings being in either case transmitted to congress,
and lodged among the acts of congress for the security
of the parties concerned: provided that every commissioner, before he sits in judgment, shall take an oath
to be administered by one of the judges of the supreme
or superior court of the state, where the cause shall be
tried, ‘‘well and truly to hear and determine the matter
in question, according to the best of his judgment without
favour, affection or hope of reward’’: provided also that
no state shall be deprived of territory for the benefit of
the united states.
All controversies concerning the private right of soil
claimed under different grants of two or more states,
whose jurisdiction as they may respect such lands, and
the states which passed such grants are adjusted, the
said grants or either of them being at the same time
claimed to have originated antecedent to such settlement
of jurisdiction, shall on the petition of either party to
the congress of the united states, be finally determined
as near as may be in the same manner as is before prescribed for deciding disputes respecting territorial jurisdiction between different states.
The united states in congress assembled shall also have
the sole and exclusive right and power of regulating the
alloy and value of coin struck by their own authority,
or by that of the respective states—fixing the standard
of weights and measures throughout the united states—
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ARTICLES OF CONFEDERATION
regulating the trade and managing all affairs with the
Indians, not members of any of the states, provided that
the legislative right of any state within its own limits
be not infringed or violated—establishing and regulating
post-offices from one state to another, throughout all the
united states, and exacting such postage on the papers
passing thro’ the same as may be requisite to defray the
expences of the said office—appointing all officers of the
land forces, in the service of the united states, excepting
regimental officers—appointing all the officers of the
naval forces, and commissioning all officers whatever in
the service of the united states—making rules for the
government and regulation of the said land and naval
forces, and directing their operations.
The united states in congress assembled shall have authority to appoint a committee, to sit in the recess of
congress, to be denominated ‘‘A Committee of the States,’’
and to consist of one delegate from each state; and to
appoint such other committees and civil officers as may
be necessary for managing the general affairs of the
united states under their direction—to appoint one of their
number to preside, provided that no person be allowed
to serve in the office of president more than one year
in any term of three years; to ascertain the necessary
sums of Money to be raised for the service of the united
states, and to appropriate and apply the same for defraying the public expences—to borrow money, or emit bills
on the credit of the united states, transmitting every half
year to the respective states an account of the sums of
moneys so borrowed or emitted—to build and equip a
navy—to agree upon the number of land…
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