A Guide to the Study of the Constitutional and Political History of the United

This book provides a concise examination of key legislation passed by the First and Second Continental Congresses that ultimately led to the creation of our modern-day United States of America. The author argues that despite the loose confederation of allied states at the time, the shared experiences and resulting legislation of these two Congresses created common traditions, laws, and a political identity that would unite the colonies as one nation. The book begins with an overview of the administrative challenges inherited by the Continental Congresses from the Revolutionary Period. It discusses the Articles of Confederation and the inherent weaknesses that led to the collapse of the central government. The author emphasizes the financial strains caused by the government's inability to levy taxes and regulate commerce, rendering it utterly dependent on the states, who often failed to meet their financial obligations. The bulk of the book analyzes the key legislation passed by these Congresses, and how those laws brought the colonies into closer alignment with one another. This includes an examination of common military and monetary policies, cooperative foreign policy and diplomacy, and the establishment of a rudimentary federal judiciary system. Despite the contentious debate and compromises required to produce this legislation, the author argues that these early laws and cooperative agreements contributed greatly to the development of a unified American identity. The book concludes that without the efforts of the First and Second Continental Congresses, the fledgling United States, as we know it today, would not exist.Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books.This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.This text has been digitally restored from a historical edition. Some aesthetic errors may persist, however it has been deemed that any such will not detract from the work's significant historical value.The digital edition of all books may be viewed on our website before purchase.