The Article Of Confederation Essay Research Paper

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 Jay’s 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 noneThe addition of the western lands would strenghten 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 siezing of the Mississippi river was

unnecessary and took away the opportunities of the Americans. However, John

Jay’s negotiation of a trade treaty with Spain was blocked by Congress.

The Shay’s Rebellion showed the inablity 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 Washingon 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), Rawlin 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

independece. 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, gving them more rights and freedom, not the central government. Later

on, these problems would lead to a stronger central government in order to keep

an effective government.