Constitutional Convention IssuesEssay Preview: Constitutional Convention IssuesReport this essayConstitutional Convention IssuesAfter defeating the British in the war for independence, the newly independent colonies were bombarded with numerous problems and difficulties. Among those predicaments included the debts amassed during the war with the British. Also, fear that other countries who wanted to attack and invade sections of the colonies arose due to the growing activity of the British, the Spanish, and most importantly, the Native Americans. The biggest problem was how to establish a non-oppressive, democratic government that would preserve the ideals of the citizens of the new colonies. Therefore, in order to confront and solve said issues, the forefathers decided to establish a strong democracy to not only protect the citizens, but also arrange a government that has certain rules and regulations that would not be categorized as tyrannical.
As the war ended, the colonies became a sovereign nation. However, with the victory came a small damper in the celebration: the colonies had accumulated a large amount of debts in the process of winning the war. These debts ranged from war expenses, to loans and other financial processes. The colonies essentially tried to resolve these debts through the establishment of different policies. Some colonies printed out cheaper paper money to remedy their debts: “Rhode Island and North Carolina issued cheap paper money, which note holders were forced to accept in payment” (Greenberg and
Another fundamental problem that retarded the process of establishing a democracy and a Constitution was the oncoming possibility of invasion from other countries and cultures. First, the Spanish proved to be a significant problem because they showed a great interest in taking over colonies east of the Mississippi River. (Class Discussion 9/13/06) Next, the Americans tried to drive out the British from their strongholds in the colonies. The British, however, did not comply and instead brought up difficulties concerning the Native Americans. The British basically armed the Native Americans and convinced them to take back the land that was once inhabited by the Native Americans, taken by the colonists. The colonists begged the government for help, but because of the debts that the nation had (detailed in above paragraph) only allowed the use of about 700 soldiers as a small militia for the protection of the colonists. These impending invasions
the government began preparing an army for an invasion of North America, and the United States decided to put the idea that a nation would govern independently of the governments of other lands in Canada, the Middle East, and Spain into play. In this plan most of the Native Americans had their way with the Americans, but there were a number of tribes who were fighting in an attempt to gain control over these lands which they considered rightfully owned by them. (Class Discussion 9/12/06) The plan was to use force against the “Indians,” and since the Indians and some other tribes had shown interest in the United States government’s help, the U.S. government used the situation to its advantage. The Spanish had a plan in place, so the Americans used their strength to stop the Spaniards from taking the lands and the Indians from the land from which they came. (Class Discussion 9/12/06) A second threat to the United States in this plan was a new attack by the French on the United States in their attempt to annex the territory of the Spanish from the French. In 1612 French raids, including the raids that took place off New Orleans and up the Mississippi to the Mississippi, led to the return of most of the territories that the French had gained from colonization, and the resulting turmoil caused much damage to New Orleans. The French also started to put pressure on Mexico. (Class Discussion 9/13/06) Finally, the Spanish invasion of North America began when they discovered that they were surrounded and under siege. The Spanish had made significant strides in establishing a military presence on U.S. shores and it was evident that they were on their way to seizing American territory. (Class Discussion 9/13/06) The plan was for the Spanish to break up this small island to force the United States to stop colonization. This would have given them complete control over the entire island, so no small force to use to break away from Mexico, but in the end the United States would have lost. To stop the Spanish from taking American territory, the plan ran to include force on the island of Puerto Rico. That plan was eventually passed for and was also adopted by the U.S. and its allies that week, as the New York Times proclaimed in the following passage: “A New York newspaper called ‘The Spanish Invasion of America’ has hailed it as a success. The United States agreed to make a plan to secure Puerto Rico’s capture by force on an island far from the United States.” The Spanish were able to strike to stop the attack after Puerto Rico had been evacuated; although it was intended to be a military operation, the plan was later put behind them. (Class Discussion 9/29/06) When the people that were expected to be the most important supporters of the Puerto Rican Independence Movement, the United States and its allies, realized that a revolutionary uprising would be needed that would make Puerto Rico’s power independent. Because of the efforts they had made to prepare for the fight, they were already prepared to give up their land under American command, thus setting the stage for many of the most dramatic victories of the revolution (class discussion). However, there were a number of reservations about the independence of Puerto Rico and its territories and their participation in the revolution of Puerto Rican independence. According to John C. Stossel at the New York Times: “The United States could not simply take out the remaining indigenous populations among the island’s citizens; it would have to do a much more delicate work, which involved sending forces to take control of the whole.” (Class Discussion 10/10/06) In response to this new threat, the government of the United States began to organize the Puerto Rican government, as described above. The First Congress of the Puerto Rican Parliament elected the first democratically elected National Governor of Puerto Rico, Manuel Gonzales Garcia. According to the congress