A New Land by Joni Doherty

Author:Joni Doherty [Doherty, Joni]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Education, History, United States, Revolutionary Period (1775-1800)
ISBN: 9780945639800
Google: b40lrgEACAAJ
Publisher: National Issues Forums Institute
Published: 2015-12-15T02:57:23+00:00

OPTION THREE

Lithograph by Currier & Ives. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division, Washington D.C. 20540 USA

Washington taking leave of the officers of his army at Francis’s Tavern, Broad Street, New York, December 4th, 1783

Let States

Govern

Themselves

Dissolve the Confederation.

The states are sovereign and

should govern themselves.

This option says it is unnatural for such a far-flung and diverse people to unite as one nation. We fought for self-rule, not to be ruled by a new and closer power. We rejected being ruled by a government thousands of miles away, so why should we submit to one hundreds of miles away?

As General Washington observed, the states are bound together by “a rope of sand.” Rather than turn that rope into a chain, this option holds that we should dissolve the Confederation. There are state legislatures that trace their history back a century or more, and even the newest legislatures now have experience with issuing currency, imposing taxes, and regulating trade. Nine have armies, and several have navies.

The Declaration of Independence states we have the right “to alter or to abolish [the government], and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.” This option’s priority is to institute self-governance at the state level, and to focus on the more intimate institutions and civic practices essential for local self-rule.

This option suggests that states boycott the meeting planned in Philadelphia. Even Patrick Henry, the great patriot of the American Revolution, has refused to participate. While publicly he said the absence is because his personal affairs need his attention, he has privately acknowledged it is because, in his words, “I smell a rat.”

Let States Make Their Own Decisions

The gentlemen elected to national office do not always represent the interests of common farmers. Those drawn to this option say that local rule is preferable because it is closer to the people. Smaller societies are less likely to be corrupted, because those who live and work with local leaders are better able to evaluate the quality of their characters. Proponents of this view believe we should disband the Congress of the Confederation and acknowledge the state governments as fully sovereign, independent republics.

The states still face potential military threats from Indians, the Barbary pirates, and European intruders. However, proponents of sovereign states say every state should be solely responsible for its own defense, since each faces different threats. They argue that, without the state-based citizen militias, we would never have won the war, and professional soldiers cannot match the passion and intensity of a man defending his home.

Proponents of this option say each state knows how to best manage its own Indian relations, because they vary widely by location. Most Indian tribes were allied with the British during the war. Many are continuing to fight against westward expansion, while others are observing the peace.

If shared interests or region-wide threats emerge, states can voluntarily band together. During the Revolution, we proved we can quickly unite in the face of a common threat.

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