I saw one. I was in the constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and defend the constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic. The constitution of the United States. Against all enemies foreign. Then the constitution of the United States. I can support and defend the constitution of the United States against all war. And defend the constitution of the united state. And defend the constitution of the United States. As american soldiers, weve all taken this oath. We sworn allegiance not to a king, not even to the president. Weve pledged our support to the constitution. This remarkable document was drafted and signed here in Independence Hall, the old Pennsylvania State house in philadelphia, during the summer. Of 1787. One way to better appreciate the meaning of the constitution is to understand why and how it came to be. Some of us may think that the United States of america came about simply as a result of colonization revolution, and then the establishment of our present form of government. It wasnt, of course, quite that simple. As a matter of fact, the constitution that governs our lives today was our second effort. The first one, the articles of confederation, didnt work. Our present constitution only came about after great debate and compromise. During this program, well examine the origins of the constitution, placing special emphasis on those provisions that deal with the creation and control of our army. By the time the Second Continental Congress met in may 1775, the battles of lexington and concord had already occurred. It was this Second Congress that created the continental army. In fact, the Second Continental Congress also declared independence from england. Directed the revolutionary war. And drafted what we consider to be our first constitution. The articles of confederation. From the time the articles were first proposed in june 1776, until they were finally ratified. In february 1781. Five years had elapsed even in the face of a common foe. The states did not want to surrender their sovereignty to a Central Government. Article two, for example, stated each state retains its sovereignty, freedom and independence. The articles of confederation read more like a trade agreement than a basis for National Government. Article three read the said states hereby enter into a firm league of friendship with each other for their common defense. There was neither a separate executive to enforce the laws of the congress nor an independent judiciary to settle disputes among the states. After the american french victory at yorktown in october 1781 and the treaty of paris two years later, the states saw a little likelihood of foreign invasion. The glue that had once held the fiercely independent states together was gone. Without it, the American Confederation began to come apart at the seams. Weaknesses, as in the articles of confederation, became increasingly obvious. One serious physical shortcoming was that under the articles only the states had the power to tax or to print money. Article eight, for example, stated all charges of war and all other expenses that shall be incurred for the common defense shall be defrayed out of a common treasury. To fill that common treasury. Congress had to request funds from the states due to a growing economic crisis, which ultimately developed into a full fledged depression. The states could not or would not provide the Congress Funds to pay off the charges of war. One of many government debts was backpay for the officers and men of the continental army. During the two years between the victory at yorktown and the departure of the british from new york city. General washington kept his army camped at newburgh, new york. This was a tense, awkward period of neither war nor peace. Washington could not relax so long as there remained the possibility of a renewal of hostilities. This possibility was very real following the april 1782 defeat of the french fleet, which had played a key role at yorktown. General washington was also having great difficulty maintaining morale and discipline at newburgh. He had even found it necessary to rebuke a colonel louis nakoula, who suggested the general set himself up as a king. In addition to providing no pay for several months, congress was considering reversing its promise for half pay pensions to the continental armys officers upon demobilization. Some congressional delegates and supporters of a Strong National government felt that they could advance their cause by playing on the armys grievances. General washington was alarmed, and in a letter to his friend and former military aid alexander hamilton, he warned the army considering the irritable state it is in, is a dangerous instrument to play with the situation in the states. Deteriorated further during the winter of 1780 283. Mutinous talk abounded throughout the rank and file of the continental army. Anonymous petitions soon began to circulate within the newburgh encampment, threatening that the army would soon take matters into its own hands by marching on philadelphia and taking over congress. The plotters called for a secret meeting, but general washington got word of this and acted quickly, just as the proceedings were about to begin. He walked in and took the podium. On march 15, 1783, before the assembled officers of his veteran army, he began to speak. Gentlemen, by an anonymous summons, an attempt has been made to convene you together. How inconsistent with the rules of propriety and how subversive of all order and discipline this summons was calculated to suggest an idea of premeditated injustice against the sovereign powers of the United States. And how did the author of this summons see the interest of the army being advanced by moving westward into the unsettled country, leaving an ungrateful nation to defend itself if war should break out again, or if peace should take place by turning your arms against your own country. In her hour of distress. Unless the congress can be compelled into instant compliance. My god, this is so shocking. Humanity revolts at the idea. General washington reminded his officers how his own service had demonstrated his dedication to the army and its needs. How he had shared their distress and understood their grievances. Plotting. But he was convinced that congress recognized the suffering of the army and would eventually establish pension funds. He promised to personally press their cause with congress toward the end of the address. General washington began to have obvious difficulties with this text, and he his next action proved dramatic and had an emotional impact on his officers plotting the ruin of. As he fumbled for his new spectacles, he revealed a physical frailty he his officers had been unaware of. The general was having trouble seeing gentlemen. You must pardon me. I have grown gray in your service. And now i find myself growing blind. Let me in treat you. In the name of our common country. As you value your own sacred honor. As you respect the rights of humanity. And as you regard the national and military character of america. To express your horror and to defeat the insidious designs of your enemies, you will thus give one more distinguished proof of one example patriotism and patient virtue rising above the pressures of this most difficult situation. General washington succeeded in convincing his officers to stand by congress. He had turned to threaten mutiny into an opportunity for the officers to display their loyalty to the young republic. The general who could have been a dictator or perhaps even king, had established by his example the military and National Character of america. The principle of civil control of the military. George washington proved himself committed to the high ideals of the revolution, while at the same time acutely aware of the deficiencies of the government as it was then organized. Even during the war, he had written, our measures are not under the direction of one council, but 13, each of which is actuated by local views and politics. We are attempting the impossible. Many leaders recognized that the articles of confederation were in need of wholesale revision. The ink was barely dry on the newly ratified document when James Madison and others were appointed. The report necessary changes. This was to be the first of many attempts to amend the articles. It was, however, an Impossible Task since article 13 stipulated that no amendments could be made unless confirmed by the legislature of every state. As a result, the situation went from bad to worse. Each state attempted to protect its own interest and to assert its own independence. The states even dealt unilaterally with foreign governments, interstate squabbles prevailed. Virginia quarrel with pennsylvania over the pittsburgh area. Settlers in Western North carolina organized a free state of franklin and elected their own governor. Vermont, not yet a state held secret talks with canada on annexation. New york collected taxes on the inhabitants of new jersey. Many states quarreled over borders. In the west, a new military threat was developing from the indians. But new york informed congress it would not allow massachusetts troops to transit the state on their way to maine ports along the frontier. Requests from congress for funds to pay war debts and to run the government went unheeded by the states. George washington wrote to john j. Our 13 sovereign indiana pendent disUnited States are in the habit of refusing requisitions at their option. Requisitions are actually little better than a just the legislatures laugh in your face. Finding themselves unable to amend the articles of confederation, many politicians and businessmen began to consider other alternatives. One of the most logical choices in the minds of some citizens who had grown up under the rule of an english king was to establish some form of limited monarchy in america. Sentiments toward a monarch were still strong, and many americans, for example, congress requested and received a portrait of louis the 16th and Marie Antoinette to hang and its meeting hall. Nathaniel golomb, then president of the Continental Congress, was reported to have written prince henry of prussia, asking him to accept power in the face of the apparent failure of the confederation, a a group of businessmen in boston wrote privately to king george and second son frederick, duke of york, with a request that he come to america as king. Even George Washington and briefly considered the necessity of a monarch, might become evident in time. Alexander hamilton, who genuinely admired the british form of government, doubted that anything short of monarchy would do in america. The economic chaos and political factionalism of the mid 1780s led noah webster to write. I was once as strong a republican as any man in america. Now a republic is the last kind of government i should choose. I would infinitely prefer a limited monarch. Yet another possible solution to the troubles of the day was the division of the confederation into separate countries organized along regional lines. Dr. Benjamin rush wrote from philadelphia. Some of our enlightened men have secretly proposed an eastern, middle and southern confederacy in april 1787. Newspapers in philadelphia and other cities published widely the following letter. Instead of attempting to amend the present articles of confederation, would it not be preferable to distribute the United States into three republics . Some states were working at resolving their differences, but meetings between individual states provided no solutions to the confederations. Bigger problems. As early as 1782, the New York Legislature here called for a General Convention of all states to review and revise the articles. Congress appointed a committee to consider this proposal, but no further action was ever taken. In 1784, Richard Henry lee of virginia wrote to James Madison that the laws of congress were subjected to being overruled by any one petty, insignificant state, refusing to accept them. William grayson wrote to madison in 1786 the present confederation is utterly inefficient and if it remains much longer in its present state of imbecility, we shall be one of the most contemptible nations on the face of the earth. But Congress Took no action in january 1786. The Virginia Legislature passed a resolution inviting the states to send delegates to meet in annapolis to review and revise the articles dealing with commerce. However, the opening session on september 11 revealed that only new york, new jersey, pennsylvania, india, delaware and virginia were represented. Delegates from the other states had either failed to arrive or had simply not been appointed before joining on september 14th. However, they drafted a call for all the states to meet in philadelphia on the second monday of may 1787, in order to devise such further provisions as shall appear to be necessary to render the constitution of the federal government adequate to the exigencies of the union. With this latest call for a General Convention, be just another of the many which had been founded since 1782. It would not for this time, as luck would have it. Events in massachusetts got everyones attention. Soon after the adjournment of the annapolis convention, daniel shays organized several hundred impoverished farmers and marched to springfield. Such rebellions by the people had been occurring quite regularly throughout 1786. In massachusetts, new hampshire, connecticut and vermont. Rebellious farmers had closed courts, broken up farm auctions and attacked state legislatures. By the end of the year, nearly 9000 rebels had been organized with no real federal army and an inadequate militia. The situation threatened to get out of hand. During this period, Abigail Adams wrote to Thomas Jefferson regarding the rebellion. It is true, sir. The uprising has have been very alarming. They have even stopped the courts of justice in several counties. A few weeks after the final defeat of shays by the massachusetts militia in january 1787, the Continental Congress endorsed the annapolis proposal for a General Convention and called upon all states to send delegates to philadelphia in may. Daniel shays rebellion had once and for all convinced the majority of the states leaders that strong measures had to be taken to avoid the disintegration of the United States. The rebellion had driven home a feeling already felt strongly abroad that the american experiment in democracy was failing. Or, as an english friend of Young America wrote from london to benjamin rush, the conclusion here is that you are falling to pieces and will soon repent your independence. Finally, by the spring of 1787, others had reached the conclusion. Alexander hamilton had expressed five years earlier in confronting the dilemma of liberty for the people versus power of a Central Government. Hamilton had written an excess of power leads to despotism. Too little power leads to anarchy, both eventual lead to the ruin of the people. May 1787 philadelphia the federal convention after the dismal representation in annapolis the preceding september and in spite of the stamp of approval by the Continental Congress, many leaders still wondered whether everyone would appear in philadelphia, not everyone did. Of the 74 delegates selected by the states, only 55 actually made it to philadelphia. Rhode island didnt even appoint delegates. The delegates to the Constitutional Convention were all men of prominence. Many had actively participated in the struggle for independence. 22 had seen military service. 34 had studied law. 13 were businessmen and ten were planters. Three were physicians. And two had been religious ministers. Among them were eight, who had signed the declaration of independence. Six who had signed the articles of confederation and seven who had attended the annapolis convention. Most were welleducated. Some of them in england. It was in this english based education, and the general moral and legal developed of those american leaders that the deep roots of the British Values system lie. The war for independence came about primarily because americans rebelled against the infringement of their rights as british subjects. In fact, english traditions and English Heritage actually had a very positive impact on the framers of the constitution. Their belief in mans natural inalienable rights and Representative Government goes back to these traditions. Lieutenant colonel barry berryman, a British Exchange student at the United States army command and general staff college. We, the british, are indeed proud of the fact that the political and legal heritage of colonial america was primarily english. English common law and many of our historic documents. The magna carta of 1215, the habeas corpus act of 1679, and the bill of rights of 1689. All these had significant influence upon the framers of your constitution. In fact, our political and legal philosophers, such as locke and blackstone were often