Confederation Flaws

After the United States declared independence from Great Britain in 1776, the thirteen states knew that they needed to create a document that stated their unity as one nation. In 1777, the Continental Congress wrote the Articles of Confederation, which became known as the first official government of the United States. While this new form of government had multiple achievements, it also had many failures, which eventually led to its replacement with the Constitution. The Articles of Confederation was a very influential document and greatly impacted the history of the United States. While the Articles of Confederation is often noted for its many flaws, it also accomplished many tasks. Firstly, Congress was able to settle and establish a
The federal government did not have the power to establish a common currency among the states or collect taxes. This resulted in an economic downturn and an increase in national debt. Congress did not have the power to regulate interstate and international trade as well. Also, creating laws became a challenge because a two thirds majority was needed to pass laws and all states needed to agree to amend the Articles ("The Articles of Confederation, 1777"). The Articles did not establish a court system or an executive branch, causing the acts of Congress to be left unenforced. Therefore, power no longer lied with the people, but with the states and a single assembly ("The Articles of Confederation, 1777"). The articles did not create the republican government that was called for by the
The declining economy caused by Articles resulted in a decrease in trade and an increase in unemployment. Farmers were no longer receiving enough money from their produce and were unable to pay for the goods imported from Britain and other foreign countries. As debt collectors demanded their payments, lawsuits arose and farmers were losing their land, supplies, and ability to pay state taxes. Angered by this, farmers in Massachusetts rallied behind fellow farmer, Daniel Shays, who demanded change. In 1787, Shays and his increasing amount of followers, made a plan to shut down the courts by seizing weapons from the state armory. The state of Massachusetts was able to raise an army and put an end to this violent revolt, however, the national government did not have the authority to deal with the situation. This rebellion influenced the movement towards a change of the government system in the United States because many people realized that a stronger national government was necessary in order to intervene with incidents such as this one. Shays’ Rebellion also rose enough attention to cause George Washington to return to politics (Tilva). Without his return, George Washington may have never become the first president of the United States, greatly impacting the events in history. In conclusion, the Articles of Confederation greatly impacted