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The Grenville Program (1764)
British Prime Minister George Grenville had several reasons to create his program. The necessity to cover expenses on the war with France was one of them. Grenville believed Americans did not exert enough efforts in those actions in spite of the fact that British troops fought for their benefits too. The empire also wanted to remind its colonies its still in charge. Some settlements, like Rhode Island and Connecticut, acted like semi-independent colonies; they were able to elect governors and make other decisions without Britain’s approval.
Grenville’s program included several acts: Proclamation (1763), Sugar Act, Currency Act (both 1764), Quartering Act and the Stamp Act (1765…show more content… The obstacle for the document’s ratification also was created by Delaware, New Jersey, and Maryland; these colonies did not want to sign up the Articles because it did not provide the creation of a Western national domain. First two colonies denied their objections by 1779. The Maryland continued to protest until February 1781. Two main events happened by this time: the Revolutionary War was almost over and the national domain near the Ohio River was created. These changes boosted the Articles’ ratification with colonies’ refusal of their protests.
The document was a successful constitution, because it defined colonies as an independent and sovereign country with the central and local governments. It specified officials rights and duties. However, while the Articles showed American independence, it did not represent it as a united country. Colonies existed more like a semi-independent settlements according to the document. They had the central government. But it did not have meaningful powers. Congress could not levy taxes; there was not a system of federal courts or interstate trade…show more content… They proposed a bicameral Congress that consists of the House of Representatives (lower chamber), where states sent the number of members depended up their population; and the Senate (upper chamber), where each state was presented by two persons. The state could send one man for every 40,000 residents, according to Sherman. The compromise also included the decennial census to confirm state’s population size.
The Compromise resolved the issue partially. While both small and big states were pleased by the creation of the two-chambered Congress, the new debates between North and South started. Slave-owning states wanted their slave populations were fully counted for the representation in the House of Representatives, while northern regions were against this practice. Discussions were ended by the Three-Fifths Compromise proposed by Sherman and James Wilson. Three-fifths of slaves’ population would be counted for representation and taxes distribution, according to it.
The Great Compromise was important because it led to the creation of the system that the USA uses today. It contributed to the Constitution and demonstrated states were able to come to a consensus in spite of different opinions on social and political
