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Independence from Britain made necessary the establishment of a new government. Eleven states drew up new constitutions; Connecticut and Rhode Island revised colonial charters. The Articles of Confederation created a loose union of near-sovereign states. The Confederation was inadequate and was failing in the structure of government. They also were in deep trouble, financially and economically. The Articles of Confederation probably achieved its most important success in the handling of west diplomatic and financial concerns.
In evaluating post-American Revolutionary War, overall the Articles of Confederation did not provide the United States with an effective government Upon Independence, financial problems troubled the Confederation government. During the American Revolutionary War for independence, Congress and the states had printed good faith paper currency. It became virtually worthless and was never redeemed. The structure of the Articles of Confederation allowed the Congress to request funds and borrow money but not lay taxes or collect tariffs.
Congress had to either borrow funds from private suppliers or tax the states to finance reconstruction after the war. Unable to tax without the approval of all 13 states, Congress turned to a wealthy, self-made Philadelphia merchant, Robert Morris, who in 1781 became the nations superintendent of finance. Morris proposed that the states authorize the collection of a national import duty of 5 percent to finance the compression budget and to guarantee interest payments on the war debt. In (Doc. A) a letter from the Rhode Island Assembly to Congress on (Nov. 30, 1782), Rhode Island explains the rejection of Morris proposal of the collection for a national import duty. Rhode Island stated that it was unequal and against the constitution.
Because all 13 states had to agree, the proposal was thrown out and was not informed. Morris and Alexander Hamilton devised a dangerous plot called the Newburgh Conspiracy in order to relieve the panic. In 1783, (Doc C) the two men secretly persuaded some army officers to threaten a coupdetat unless the treasury obtained the taxation authority needed to raise their pay. A letter from Delegate Joseph Jones to George Washington suggests the immediate pay to the silver by enforcing tariffs and taxation.
George Washington blocked this threatened military coup aimed at strengthening the central government and guaranteeing back pay and pensions to officers as the war came close. These events proved the Confederation was weak and unable to control financial Diplomatic problems multiplied after the war. Congress was unable to comply states to repay prewar debts to British citizens and allow Loyalists to recover confiscated property. European governments closed off nearly all American trade with the colonies. According to statistics of exports and population (Doc. B), after the Declaration of Independence, the profit of exports to Britain steadily declined.
This shows that the export trade to Britain was declining. Britain took away the rights of the United States to trade with the British colonies, yet Britain goods were still flooding in the United States. This, in return caused an economic depression within the colonies. Secretary of Foreign Affairs John Jay negotiated many treaties with Spain, Britain, and other European countries, but it was blocked by Congress. In John Jays Instructions to the United States Minister to Great Britain (Doc. D, March 7, 1785), Jay insists that the British remove themselves from the United States.
The British still remained in the United States even after the war. Western land claims were a long source of dispute between the states and european nations. Seven states had huge western land based on colonial charters (Doc. E), while six other states had none The addition of the western lands would strengthen the Congress because the sale of lands would provide a source of national revenue. In (Doc. F, August 6, 1786), the Spanish wants the United States to give up highway rights of the Mississippi.
The Mississippi was generally a money highway for the United States. The seeking of the Mississippi river was unnecessary and took away the opportunities of the Americans. However, John Jays negotiation of a trade treaty with Spain was blocked by Congress. The Shays Rebellion showed the inability of the Articles of Confederation to keep maintain things in order to satisfy the citizens. In 1786, farmers with debts demanded more paper currency, postponement of debt and tax payments, and an end to mortgage foreclosures. In Rhode Island, government issued a flood of paper money.
In western Massachusetts rebel farmers led by Daniel Shays attempted to interrupt the operations of the courts. The rebellion was easily crushed, but fears of anarchy grew among the wealthy. In a letter from John Jay to George Washington June 27, 1786 (Doc. G), Jay addresses his fear of the failure of the Confederation and the various uproars. His faith in a new changed constitution (as well as many other political figures) showed that the previous Articles of Confederation was a sure failure. Unable to control foreign affairs, financial problems, and rebellions, the Congress decided to revise the Confederations.
In a speech to the South Carolina House of Representatives (Doc. H), Rain Lowndes explains the failures of the Confederation and the demanding of a new and revised government with more central powers and more regulations on the states. These changes were necessary to the Confederation and the United States to secure justice and organization. Overall, The Articles of Confederation did not provide an effective government.
It did not satisfy the people, unify the states, nor keep the people financially and economically happy. The Confederation was too weak, while the states had strong seperate government. The states had much of freedom and independence. There were some great achievements which were the Bill of Rights and the western land claims, but these achievements did not really help the Congress to make a strong central government.
These were good to the states, going them more rights and freedom, not the central government. Later on, these problems would lead to a stronger central government in order to keep Bibliography: none
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Research essay sample on Articles Of Confederation Rhode Island
