Changes

In terms of religious belief, most of the Founding Fathers were Presbyterian.  "Deism" -- a belief that God created the world but never intervenes and instead only His natural laws govern it -- was the view of [[Thomas Paine]] and some other colonists in the late 1700s.

In terms of religious belief, most of the Founding Fathers were Presbyterian.  "Deism" -- a belief that God created the world but never intervenes and instead only His natural laws govern it -- was the view of [[Thomas Paine]] and some other colonists in the late 1700s.

==The Articles of Confederation

==The Articles of Confederation ==

The U.S. Constitution did not create the "United States."  The "Articles of Confederation," which came first, did.  It was a desire to improve on the Articles of Confederation (AOC) which resulted in the U.S. Constitution.  A common exam question asks about flaws in the AOC.<ref>"AOC" on exams refers to the Articles of Confederation.  In 2019 there is another "AOC" in the news: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who is one of the youngest members of Congress (age 30) and an outspoken "progressive" Democrat on the left side of the political spectrum.</ref>

The U.S. Constitution did not create the "United States."  The "Articles of Confederation," which came first, did.  It was a desire to improve on the Articles of Confederation (AOC) which resulted in the U.S. Constitution.  A common exam question asks about flaws in the AOC.<ref>"AOC" on exams refers to the Articles of Confederation.  In 2019 there is another "AOC" in the news: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who is one of the youngest members of Congress (age 30) and an outspoken "progressive" Democrat on the left side of the political spectrum.</ref>