Background: The main character in the 1999 film The Patriot prophetically warned that replacing one tyrant 3,000 miles away (the King of England) with 3,000 tyrants one mile away (democratic rule) might only create a new form of tyranny; in practice, the first U.S. constitution (the Articles of Confederation, 1781-87) saw state governments dominate the federal government (Congress).
Question: Describe briefly why the United States needed to replace the Articles of Confederation, then describe in detail how the Constitution (as amended with the Bill of Rights) successfully resolved the problems facing the new nation in the 1780s.