Our Government Archives - Page 4 of 7

Our First “Constitution”: The Articles of Confederation

April 17, 2023 thefpAdmin 4

Why the Articles of Confederation failed its New Nation The Articles of Confederation was the first constitution of the United States of America. It established a confederate style of government for America, which united 13 States with their own strong governments under one purposefully weak central government. A Confederacy was born The Founders established a confederacy, because they had just fought a war (the Revolutionary War) against the British to escape an oppressively strong central government. The Founders wanted to avoid any type of strong central government. They opted to give the States the power to establish their own governments, foreign relations, trade agreements, military and economic practices. This distribution of power was chosen by […]

Lemuel Haynes’ Liberty Further Extended

March 24, 2023 TFP Staff 0

Lemuel Haynes’ Most Important Work Liberty Further Extended… Lemuel Haynes, a Founder, Minuteman, Pastor and Author, penned in an influential essay called “Liberty Further Extended” in response to the Declaration of Independence. His work was a treatise against slavery and an influential stance during the Founding years of the United States. Haynes argued that liberty for one group of people justly meant freedom for all. The story of Lemuel Haynes is featured on The Founding Project website. (See link below.) His most important work, “Liberty Further Extended”, is published here for the benefit of TFP readers and to honor the story of our Founders. The Founding Project publishes his work with no changes, except to add […]

The Forgotten Articles of Confederation

March 24, 2023 Guest Writer 0

The Articles of Confederation: America’s Forgotten Constitution The story of the Articles of Confederation, Colonial America’s first and nearly forgotten, original Constitution. Before the Confederation Began, an Intro John Hancock’s signature is the largest one on the Declaration of Independence. Most people know this, but some do not know why or they only consider the popular legend that he did this, so “the fat old king could read it without his spectacles”. The fact is, Hancock was the president of the “Congress” at the time and, in that capacity, he would be the first to sign, centered below the text. The title was ceremonial for the most part. It also made him the most important […]

The Originally Proposed Bill of Rights

March 21, 2023 thefpAdmin 0

Bill of Rights: The Original Proposed Transcript and the Original Final Ratified Document The transcription included here is the recorded original of the Joint Resolution of Congress PROPOSING the Bill of Rights. These proposed amendments and the final accepted and ratified Bill of Rights document is on permanent display in the Rotunda at the National Archives Museum. The punctuation and spelling for both is the same as the original documents. History: On September 25, 1789, the First Congress of the United States proposed 12 amendments to the Constitution. The 1789 Joint Resolution of Congress proposed the amendments now on display in the Rotunda in the National Archives Museum. Ten of the proposed 12 amendments were […]

Destroying Democracy: How Easy Is It?

March 16, 2023 Tony Wyman 0

Destroying Democracy is Easier Than You Think When Americans think of the collapse of a democracy, they typically picture scenes of armed men fighting in the streets. They envision death, ruin and destruction brought to their nation as opposing forces battle over their country’s future. But, in the modern age, that isn’t the only way free societies fail. In fact, it isn’t even the most common way. History demonstrates this and current day examples of how freedom is lost further illustrate this pattern. Look at what has happened to Turkey for a better example of how democracies are replaced by dictatorial regimes in the modern age… The Destruction of Democracy in the Modern Age Turkey […]

Ratification: The U.S. Constitution’s Fight for Survival

January 18, 2023 thefpAdmin 0

Ratification: The Need The path to ratification of the U. S. Constitution was paved with lessons learned, obstacles and debate. America was floundering. They had won the war to be free of the oppression of a king, but were losing the battle to organize a thriving nation. Strongly opposed to any type of strong central government, the Founders organized America as a confederacy. The Articles of Confederation were adopted on November 15, 1777 and its ratification was completed on March 1, 1781. The idea of a weak central government and strong State governments appealed to every American citizen, who bravely fought for America’s freedom from the King of England. But, following the ratification, reality was […]

The Free Market: Trading Pudding for Pickles

January 12, 2023 Tony Wyman 3

Part of the TFP Founding Principle Series, Tony Wyman continues with an explanation of Free Markets. Trading Pudding for Pickles ~ How the Free Market Made School Lunches Great No matter how many times I told my mother that I absolutely despised Snak Pak Butterscotch Pudding, every day I opened my lunch box in middle school, there it was. That vile, brown-grey paste, sitting in its little plastic tub, took up space in my lunch that should have been occupied by the food I craved most: Vlasic dill pickles. But, my mother, who religiously packed my lunch every day, insisted that I didn’t actually like pickles and that every boy of a certain age absolutely […]

Campaign Manipulation and Alinsky

January 6, 2023 Margo Louis 1

How Manipulation Became Part of American Campaigns Saul Alinsky is an American author and community organizer often considered to be the father of modern community organizing. He is often noted for his 1971 book, Rules for Radicals, along with a having a penchant for Satan. Although, Alinsky is most often linked to recent political figures from the more liberal camps, who studied his works with great intensity, the use of Alinsky-type tactics can be found in numerous campaigns of both the social and activist type. Because the Alinsky method or methodology preys on emotions and a slow and steady manipulation of groups of people, it is important to be able to recognize these tactics […]

The Powers of the Executive Branch

December 30, 2022 Clay Blanche 0

THE POWERS OF THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH The executive exercises vital powers in foreign and domestic areas. He is principally responsible for the nation’s foreign policy: He negotiates treaties, receives ambassadors,and serves as commander in chief of the military. The President may appoint officers. He is responsible for executing, or carrying out, the laws of the land, but also has the discretion to pardon. Though the Founders created a unitary executive, the legislature exercises several important checks on the executive, holding the power to declare war, advise and consent to appointments, and ratify treaties. As the only wholly national figure, the President reports to Congress on the State of the Union. The President may convene sessions […]

The Principles of Constitutional Interpretation

December 19, 2022 Clay Blanche 2

Principles of Constitutional Interpretation People attempt to interpret the principles of the Constitution (constitutional interpretation) and get it wrong because of faulty technique or trying to bend it to their own agenda. Read below and let’s explore a better understanding of the Constitution… I studied Pre-Constitutional Law and Political Science at Texas A&M and most of my information is from my time in pursuit of my degree. Remember: If the Constitution was simple and easy to understand, we wouldn’t need the Supreme Court! Constitutional interpretation, or constitutional construction, the term more often used by the Founders, is the process by which legal decisions are made that are justified by a constitution, although not necessarily correctly. […]