Lady Liberty

Chapter 6

Articles of Confederation:

"I. The Stile of this Confederacy shall be 'The United States of America'.

II. Each state retains its sovereignty, freedom, and independence, and every power, jurisdiction, and right, which is not by this Confederation expressly delegated to the United States, in Congress assembled.

III. The said States hereby severally enter into a firm league of friendship with each other, for their common defense, the security of their liberties, and their mutual and general welfare, binding themselves to assist each other, against all force offered to, or attacks made upon them, or any of them, on account of religion, sovereignty, trade, or any other pretense whatever."

Passion is hell-bent, for the most part-especially in its grass-roots stage.

But America was quickly beginning to realize that it would take more than mere passion for her to establish the stable and efficient government necessary to run her new sovereign nation. If she succeeded, they would be the city on the hill-proof that the ideals of a democracy could be achieved and maintained. If she failed, then she risked being wrangled back into the hold of another European empire. The land was like a slice of meat hanging from a tree, relatively unguarded and up for grabs should an opportune moment present itself.

And with all of the back-and-forth arguing taking place, America was surprised that they hadn't been invaded already.

Federalists and Anti-Federalists were pitted against each other, colliding head-to-head as they discussed the extent of state's rights and the potential need for a stronger national government. Immediately, the fear of another monarchy exploded throughout the meeting hall. A firm central government could send them spiraling back into the tyranny of a king, and they had shed enough blood to ensure the death of even the idea of a monarchy.

Yet, changes were imminent. The Articles of Confederation were weak and far too vague to be practical, leading to the stalemate between those interested in protecting the power of their states and those seeking branches of leaders to take control.

In a way, it was quite ironic that America had ultimately shaped her government in a similar fashion to Britain's, using the theories and political knowledge of multiple English philosophers to renew the Old World system.

No longer would there be a king, but rather, a president. Essentially, it was a limited monarchy without an actual monarch, and in America's eyes, it would be the key to their advancement as a nation. There were plenty of issues to tend to, and their new Constitution would usher in an era of industry and growth unlike any other.

The eyes of the world were upon them, and it filled her with both immense enthusiasm and paralyzing terror.

After a sequence of many migraines, they had finally tossed away their original composition of fundamental ideologies, trading it in for a much more thoughtful and organized document. In fact, she was so enthralled by the outcome that she even took the liberty of mailing England a copy, if only to irk him further. The preamble itself even held a particular je ne sais quoi about it.

"We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America."

It was certainly an improvement to be proud of, but their work was far from over.

America felt a growing new issue in her very bones, allowing herself to be consumed by an indescribable loneliness that she couldn't shake. It was ingrained in every image that fell across her sights-an inexplicable loss that had multiplied in strength over the years. She thought she'd recovered from the mental strain of the Revolution, but its remnants still seemed to follow her like a gray cloud hanging over her head.