Final answer:
The United States Constitution replaced the Articles of Confederation due to its inability to address various issues such as taxation, raising an army, and maintaining national unity. The Constitutional Convention of 1787 aimed to create a stronger central government that could respond effectively to national challenges and be adaptable over time, which led to the drafting of a new constitution entirely.
Step-by-step explanation:
Was it Necessary to Replace the Articles of Confederation?
The necessity to replace the Articles of Confederation with the United States Constitution arose from various weaknesses inherent in the Articles. The Articles, which were established as the first constitution of the United States, reflected a profound distrust of centralized power. This structure created a government so weak that it could not enforce laws, lacked an independent power to tax, could not effectively pay down the national debt, or raise an army. Such constraints made the government ineffective in dealing with the economic turmoil that followed the revolution and threats to domestic order, such as Shays's Rebellion.
The economic issues faced by the Confederation, along with the desire for a government capable of solving national problems, led delegates to consider a stronger central government. Although the original purpose of the Constitutional Convention of 1787 was to amend the Articles of Confederation, the mission shifted towards creating a new government framework that could cope with the needs of a more united nation. The Constitutional Convention thus grappled with creating a balance between the powers of the central government and the autonomy of the states, ultimately resulting in the United States Constitution with a robust mechanism to amend it, unlike the Articles of Confederation which required unanimous consent for changes.
The delegates to the convention recognized these issues and after deliberations, deemed it necessary to create a completely new constitution. They crafted the United States Constitution to establish a stronger federal government while maintaining certain state powers, addressing a critical balance between order and liberty, and providing a flexible means to amend the document to adapt to future requirements. Whether it was absolutely necessary is subjective, but it was clear that the delegates believed that a new framework was critical for a more stable and prosperous union.