History is more than the story of mankind; it has facts and little tidbits that sometimes get lost in the shuffle. Look at these interesting facts about American history.
Articles of Confederation Period
The two major deficiencies of the Continental Congress were its inability to tax and its subservience to the States as outlined in the Articles Of Confederation. The Constitution Of The United States corrected this by giving the central government these powers in the supremacy clause.
Another weakness, just as maddening, was the inability to control commerce. The commerce clause of the United States Constitution gave the central government the power to control either interstate or foreign commerce through taxation (i.e., export duties) or regulation. The Confederation government had no executive or judicial branches separate from congress. Committees had these powers. The Constitution set up the three different branches with appropriate checks and balances among the three sectors of power.
The people ratified the United States Constitution, not Congress on June 21, 1788. The Bill of Right, the First Ten Amendments would be ratified in 1791. Congress had originally sent 12 amendments to the States for ratification but two of them did not pass. The two amendments that did not pass dealt with the number of representatives and with the compensation of senators and representatives.
Personalities
Hamilton's program for progress of the United States dealt with the finances of the country. Hamilton proposed paying off most of the National debt, but not all to keep those creditors loyal to the government. Hamilton set up a bank so that the United States could efficiently do business by collecting the tariff taxes and thus have central control over the money.
He also proposed a strong paper currency backed by specie. That would be valid (for debts, public and private) in all of the states. He also proposed and backed industrialization of the country, which would allow the country to become independent from foreign imports of manufactured goods.
Gardoqui was the Spanish minister who met with Thomas Pinckney to make a treaty with the United States on trade in Spanish ports (New Orleans) and closing of the Mississippi river to Western trade traffic.
Robert Morris was a financier who became the secretary of finance under the Articles of Confederation. He is the man who brought money in for Congress and set up the bank to pay those funds necessary to keep the war going. He also brought in foreign investors to support the cause.
Court Precedent before the Constitution Period
Trevett v. Weeden - This Rhode Island case dealt with a butcher and a cabinetmaker over paper money. This case set the precedent for judicial review in the states because it declared the paper money law unconstitutional.