[Script Info]
Title: 
[Events]
Format: Layer, Start, End, Style, Name, MarginL, MarginR, MarginV, Effect, Text
Dialogue: 0,0:00:00.00,0:00:04.45,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,In the US, we love our constitution.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:05.24,0:00:07.83,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But it wasn't always this way.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:07.83,0:00:10.71,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Before the Constitution and government we have today,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:10.71,0:00:14.76,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,we had a sort of prototype constitution called the Articles of Confederation,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:14.76,0:00:17.26,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,which created a nation of independent states
Dialogue: 0,0:00:17.26,0:00:19.95,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,only loosely linked together by a single Congress.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:19.95,0:00:24.41,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The Founding Fathers intentionally designed a nation with a very weak central government.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:24.41,0:00:25.96,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,There was no judicial branch,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:25.96,0:00:27.18,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,no executive branch,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:27.18,0:00:28.89,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,so there was no president.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:28.89,0:00:30.46,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Which, when you think about it,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:30.46,0:00:31.89,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,it makes a lot of sense.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:31.89,0:00:35.38,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The colonists had just been through a really bad breakup with the British king, and
Dialogue: 0,0:00:35.38,0:00:38.88,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,they're not about to get back together with a government who looked just like their ex.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:38.88,0:00:40.87,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,We've all made that mistake before.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:40.87,0:00:42.12,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,You go and date a girl
Dialogue: 0,0:00:42.12,0:00:43.36,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,like the last girl you dated,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:43.36,0:00:46.56,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,you're going to get hurt. Don't do this to yourself!
Dialogue: 0,0:00:46.56,0:00:50.66,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The Congress, which was just a single chamber with a delegate from every state,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:50.66,0:00:52.34,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,did have some power,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:52.34,0:00:54.88,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,like the authority to make treaties and alliances,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:54.88,0:00:57.16,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,maintain an army, and coin money.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:57.16,0:01:00.36,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But they couldn't levy the taxes to pay for those things.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:00.36,0:01:02.80,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,In fact, under the Articles of Confederation,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:02.80,0:01:06.77,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,paying federal taxes was voluntary for the states, who of course were like,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:06.77,0:01:08.60,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"No thanks, we're good."
Dialogue: 0,0:01:08.60,0:01:11.27,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The US had borrowed money from European investors and
Dialogue: 0,0:01:11.27,0:01:13.94,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,nations to pay for the Revolutionary War,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:13.94,0:01:15.50,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,but with no power to tax,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:15.50,0:01:18.62,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the United States couldn't pay back any of those debts,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:18.62,0:01:22.04,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,creating a huge economic disaster by 1787.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:22.04,0:01:23.98,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,With no funds and limited power,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:23.98,0:01:27.02,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the central government couldn't do much to protect peace at home.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:27.02,0:01:31.30,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,This became abundantly clear during Shays's Rebellion in 1786,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:31.30,0:01:35.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,when farmers in Massachusetts violently protested against the state's high taxes.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:35.99,0:01:38.20,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So if the Articles of Confederation weren't working,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:38.20,0:01:39.85,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,why didn't they just make changes to it?
Dialogue: 0,0:01:39.85,0:01:41.96,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Well, it was practically impossible.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:41.96,0:01:45.29,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Amendments to the Articles needed unanimous consent, and
Dialogue: 0,0:01:45.29,0:01:49.64,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the delegates from the thirteen states had more opinions than a YouTube comment section.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:49.64,0:01:51.47,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,By the way, you should comment on this video right now,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:51.47,0:01:53.96,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,say something nice about it.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:53.96,0:01:55.55,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,This weak Congress and a broke,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:55.55,0:01:57.53,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,ineffective federal government eventually
Dialogue: 0,0:01:57.53,0:02:00.41,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,proved to be too much of a burden on the United States.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:00.41,0:02:03.97,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Because when thirteen different state governments held all the power,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:03.97,0:02:05.54,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,nothing was getting accomplished.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:05.54,0:02:07.79,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The Founding Fathers found this out the hard way.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:07.79,0:02:09.34,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,They went back to the drawing board,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:09.34,0:02:11.57,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,drafting a new and improved Constitution,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:11.57,0:02:29.55,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,which is still the law of our land today.