Essay on Competing Ideas of the Constitution - 858 Words

On September 15, 1787, the delegates at the Philadelphia convention agreed on a document that would cause great change in America, the Constitution. Some Americans agreed with this idea of having a reformed Articles of Confederation. Others feared that this new document would stifle the growth of the new nation even more than the Articles of Confederation. Certain citizens even feared the effect the Constitution would have on their rights.The decision of whether to ratify this Constitution became a point of between the people of America and caused debates among the Americans. Nevertheless, protecting the rights of the people was the most important concern of America, which affected the choices of the nation. One view†¦show more content†¦However, having a centralized government could also create disunity between the people and the government because of the feeling of detachment the people might have from their federal government. Additionally, if the federal government were to become the corrupt there would be no official way to stop them. Americans wanted to be sure these officials had the nation’s interests in mind. Consequently, this weakness created fear for the peoples’ freedoms and liberties. After just fighting to become independent from a monarchy, who was to say the federal government would not become one as well. These fears brought into question the delegates motives as well. Overall, the critics of immediately ratifying the Constitution felt that doing so would restrain the rights of the individual, an important need of America. The second option was for the public to take time to look over the Constitution before any immediate action was made. In doing so it was hoped that the people would see that, â€Å"the document that [was] being forced on the country [was] dangerously flawed†. This point of view thought there was no â€Å"immediate crisis† to America, unlike the previous option. The chief concern of the pe ople who argued this topic was the individual’s liberties. These debators feared that government would infringe on the American citizen’s rights and would be interested in self-empowerment. Finally, there wasShow MoreRelatedThe On The Workings Of The Constitution Convention Essay1319 Words   |  6 Pages9/25/2013 The Idea of Pluralism in the Workings of the Constitution Convention â€Å"The fundamental importance of the 1787 Constitutional Convention is indisputable, not only as a turning point in the history of the United States, but also as an event that continues to affect contemporary politics† (Pope and Shawn 1). Indeed, the historical significance of the Constitution Convention and its direct impact on American contemporary politics cannot be ignored. For over two-hundred years, the Constitution of theRead MoreThe Constitutional Convention And Ratification Debate1409 Words   |  6 PagesStates. 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