DBQ: Articles of Confederation The Articles of Confederation are considered to have created a highly controversial period in American history. Ironically, these articles also provided a steady form of government for many years after the revolutionary war. For many economic, political, and social reasons the Articles of Confederation were an ineffective form of government for the United States. Economically, the United States was struggling to stay above water. After the war inflation was at about 300%, an all time high for the newly developing country.

The two major flaws in the Articles, economically, were the fact that congress did not have the power to regulate commerce, and states were not required to pay federal taxes. The latter seemed to hurt the government most. United States exports in the three years leading up to the war were equivalent to the net exports of the 4 years after the war, which were the first years of the Articles (Document B). With this being said, The Northwest ordinance of 1787 was one of the most fiscally sound choices made by this experimental government.

It called for selling of the old northwest lands to private citizens, as to pay off the 35 million dollars collectively owed to France and Holland. Most European countries were also greatly against the United States’ revolution, so to put down revolutionary fervor in their own countries, strong economic barriers were put up against the US. Britain declined all commercial treaties with their newly independent colonies. Spain was also openly un-friendly.

In 1784 Spain closed the Mississippi river to United States commerce.The French were no strangers to these crude tactics either, they demanded revolutionary war loans be repaid, and restricted US trade in the French West Indies to ensure their demands were met. These crushing economic blows were felt just as badly at home. In 1786 a group of impoverished Massachusetts farmers rose up against the banks, under Captain Daniel Shay. This event, known as Shays Rebellion, was in response to a rash of foreclosures on farms in the area.

The inflation rates and lack of trading opportunities led to this uprising.Luckily, the uprising was quelled easily. The Articles however, did have some brilliantly democratic aspects to them. One of these is the ability of Rhode Island to openly dismiss taxation which affects one state more than another, based on their commercial output (Document A). These problems may also have stemmed from the fact that every state had its own currency.

This made interstate trading an increasingly difficult task. Since the federal government could not control any of these aspects, it made their presence quite ineffective economically.The political rejection of the federal government seemed to start in 1774. The first Continental Congress called for eradication of slavery, and this decree was widely ignored. While the northern states complied willingly, all the states south of Pennsylvania did not abolish slavery, as it was their main means of income.

After the revolutionary war, most of the Tories left the country, pushing the government toward experimentation. This led to the adoption of the Articles of Confederation in 1777, after being written by the second Continental Congress.With the new government gaining power rapidly, they seemed it fit to challenge all old world claims, and wanted possession of Great Britain’s forts on the western frontier (Document D). They also were entering into negations with the Spanish over use of the Mississippi river for transport and commerce (Document F). The land ordinance of 1785 created a northwest territory, out of what was, at the time, a land claim of many states in North America.

The government sold these lands to individuals, and used the money to pay off debts. Another term of the ordinance was, when 60,000 people inhabited one territory it then became a colony.This ordinance created even more stressed relations with the British, who had remained on the frontier trading with Indians. At the time, the federal government did have the power to make treaties for the nation, and also the postal service was created, for interstate correspondence. What the government lacked at this time was quickly eaten up by our enemies, resulting in a weakened federal government. Socially the Articles of Confederation left the people of the United States in turmoil.

On three separate occasions from 1783 to 1786, there were organized rebellions against the government.In Newbergh, NY and in Philadelphia, soldiers requesting back pay from the revolutionary war became riled up, and were threatening the congress. The latter, caused congress to disband, and move about the country to avoid persecution. The biggest accomplishment of the Articles is the sense of national unity it created. While the states were still very much independent, they were to the outside world united as one.

Foreign affairs greatly affected the mindset of the common people in the United States. Barbary pirates off the coast of North Africa were starting to attack American merchant ships, causing a wave of fear within the nation.This along with the not so uncommon rebellions, tore the countries people apart. Without the support of the nations people, the federal government again became ineffective in controlling a divided nation. The critical period after the revolutionary war put our nation under a lot of power. These burdens were placed squarely upon the Articles of Confederation, and the government they created.

To the dismay of many, the Articles crumbled under the pressure. This left a period in our history with not much to be proud of. In these ways, the Articles of Confederation were not an effective form of government.