Ratification of the US Constitution Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Ratification of the US Constitution - Essay Example Contemporary scholars describe this day as follows: â€Å"two hundred years ago, the United States Constitution replaced the Articles of Confederation as the fundamental law of the land when New Hampshire became the ninth state to ratify the Constitution on June 21, 1788.† (McGuire and Ohsfeldt 219) At that juncture in American history, there were those who were against the idea of a federal government that would be able to exercise control and supervision over the States. Thus, there were two primary factions with divergent perspectives on the matter: the antifederalists and the federalists. Whilst the Constitutional Convention was ongoing, robust debates were also taking place in the streets, in townhalls and the like. The federalists had belonged to the higher classes in society, while the anti-federalists tended to belong to the middle to lower classes. The Federalists and the Anti-Federalists The federalists had for its representatives statemen and American heroes in the form of George Washington and Benjamin Franklin, who were in large part responsible for galvanizing support for the federal state. In the minds of the federalists, a strong federal government and more united, integrated states would be more helpful and viable in attaining the interests of the American people. They also felt that it was a step above the Articles of Confederation. It was their belief that a weak union between the states will only make it vulnerable to external and even internal threats. The anti-federalists, on the other hand, were united by the view that the United States was such a large country and it would be difficult to unite and govern a country of the size and diversity as that. They also blamed the Federalists for â€Å"overreaching† – that is to say, exercising power in an excessive, if not despotic manner. They expressed a preference for local rule, saying that a federal government would only behave as though there was a monarchy. An important issue that the federalists raised was the lack of the bill of rights in the adopted Constitution. This was a major issue for the anti-federalists. For present day supporters like Nedelsky, (340), â€Å"the Anti-federalists argued for a polity in which the citizen stands in close relation to the State, in which active and responsible participation is a serious concern, and in which equality holds a very high place.† It was in fact because of the very valid issues on civil liberties raised by the Anti-federalists that the Amendments to the Constitution was introduced – an inviolable bill of rights articulating our cherished principles. The anti-federalists also felt that the Constitutional Convention overstepped its bounds when it adopted the Constitution. The only permission granted to the Convention was to amend the Articles of Confederation, not abolish them altogether to create a completely different Constitution. Interestingly, the Federalists were opposed to the B ill of Rights. According to them, since the government was in power through the mandate of the people and in order to represent them, it seemed illogical to establish a Bill of Rights to control government’s actions

What was Race Uplift for African Americans Essay

What was Race Uplift for African Americans - Essay Example The African American population represents the multiracial characteristics of the American society. Earlier, the African Americans were forced to undergo a number of problems like racial segregation, discrimination, marginalization, slavery and forced labor. Earlier, the African Americans were forced to undergo a number of problems like racial segregation, discrimination, marginalization, slavery and forced labor. Within this scenario, the efforts undertaken by the African American leaders helped the African Americans to consider that gaining legal rights can solve the problems faced by them. To be specific, African Americans considered that equality in the mainstream society can help them to attain race uplift. Thesis statement: Within the context of African American activism, race uplift is interconnected with the unending effort to gain legal, political, economic and social rights, and the contributions of the African American leaders are most important because the same helped the m to move towards development, in general. African Americans and race uplift First of all, the history of African American activism is linked with the problems faced by the African Americans in the mainstream society. Earlier, the African Americans were not aware of the fact that legal rights can be gained by the means of activism. Gradually, the African Americans came to realize the fact that idleness cannot solve their problems. So, some of the African Americans decided to protest against slavery. This revolutionary spirit originating from helplessness was most important for the African American race uplift in future. Michael Ezra stated that, â€Å"In terms of African American self-help initiatives, in the decades that followed Reconstruction, a generation of â€Å"race uplift† black American leaders emerged, whether integrationist, Pan-African nationalist, back-to-Africa proponents, or Nation of Islam separatist† (2). Within this context, Emancipation Proclamation was an important initiative from the side of the government. Henceforth, the African American population came to realize that gaining legal rights can lead the community towards political liberation, a key factor behind race uplift. The Civil Rights Movement and Black Power Movement helped the African Americans to gain a number of rights. To be specific, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 helped the African Americans to be away from discrimination in the society. So, one can easily identify the fact that African Americans considered race uplift as a means to attain their ultimate aim, i.e., equality in the society. To be specific, race uplift of African Americans is not limited to the context of their community, but extends to the context of activism aiming to gain legal, political, economic and social rights in the society. Major contributors of African American race uplift: The political leaders, social reformers, human rights activists, and civil rights leaders were the major contribut ors of African American race uplift. For instance, the leaders, reformers, and activists like Frederick Douglass, Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, Booker Taliaferro Washington, Mary Jane McLeod Bethune, etc are generally considered as the major contributors of African American race uplift. One can see that the African Americans leadership is an amalgamation of different classes in the community. For instance, the African American political leaders considered that political liberation can help the African Americans to be in the forefront of development. On the other side, the African American social reformers considered that gaining social rights can accelerate the progress of African American community. The African American human rights activists and civil rights leaders worked for the community to educate the members on the importance of rights and duties in the society. So, one can see that the contributors of the African American race uplift worked hard to accelerate the upwar d mobility of the African Am