Before the Constitution

• Before the Constitution was passed, foreign policy was difficult to conduct, according to the Founding Fathers.Jupiterimages/Comstock/Getty Images
  
  America declared its independence in 1776 and ratified the Articles of Confederation in 1781. The country was essentially a nation of 13 separate states until 1787, when the new Constitution was ratified. The federal government had very little power. While it did have the power to form an army, for example, it could not honor promises to pay soldiers' pensions, as it lacked taxation authority. Foreign policy was problematic as well for the same reason. Thomas Jefferson, in 1786, wrote the following critique of the system: "It will be said there is no money in the treasury. There never will be money in the treasury till the Confederacy shows its teeth."
  
  

Argument for Ratification

• The Constitution gave the federal government the power to tax.Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images
  
  In response to the weak nature of the Articles of Confederation, a group of activists and policymakers, known as Federalists, began advocating a strong central government, a national bank, a national debt and a single executive, among other changes that centralized power. Alexander Hamilton, in many ways, became the face of this movement, and wrote much of the "Federalist Papers," which was a collection of essays advocating a stronger central government. Hamilton argued that if the government incurred the debts of the states, they would be able to establish international trade.
  
  

Anti-Federalists and the Bill of Rights

• The Bill of Rights was added to the Constitution after much debate.Jupiterimages/liquidlibrary/Getty Images
  
  Anti-Federalists opposed ratification, fearing it would give too much power to the central government and return the U.S. to a de facto monarchy -- a system of government they had just separated from when they won independence from England. While the federalists did win the battle for ratification, the anti-Federalists secured a major concession: the Bill of Rights. This Bill of Rights provided significant protections for the people, to counter the newfound power of the central government.
  
  

The New Republic

• The ratification of the Constitution is a major part of the history of the countryJupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images
  
  When the Constitution was ratified in 1787, the United States officially became a republic, where people elect representatives to make political and economic decisions. The Constitution established three branches of government -- the legislative, executive and judicial branches -- which provide checks and balances to keep any branch from becoming too dominant.
  
  

Impacts of New Government

• As a result of the new government, the United States was able to greatly increase its ability to trade, and to build a military, thanks to its ability to tax. The U.S. in time grew to become a dominant economic and military power in the 19th century, and eventually the world's lone superpower. Many attribute this power and growth to the Constitution, although some argue that power is still too concentrated.