articles of confederation
The Articles of Confederation were ratified in 1781 to provide the United States with an effective government after the revolution. It had many weaknesses and was replaced by the United States Constitution in 1789. Under the Articles of Confederation the central government was extremely weak. There was no chief executive, no judicial branch, no power of enforcement, no power to tax, and the federal government could not settle disputes between the states. These weaknesses failed to provide the United States Money became an immense problem for the United States government. Once they became a self-sufficient nation, they lost a lot of business through commerce. The value of United States exports dropped and the population increased (Document B). The government couldn't receive money from taxes because the Articles of Confederation didn't grant them the power to tax. Congress made an
When conditions continued to worsen with no signs of improvement, a Constitutional Convention was held to amend the Articles of Confederation. Since the United States economy was obviously suffering, the military suffered as well. Even though the Articles were obviously too weak to last, many colonists didn't want to ratify the new constitution. John Jay, the United States Ambassador, wrote a letter to Great Britain, strongly requesting the removal of these troops (Document D). Instead of amending it, they created a whole new constitution. The proposition was rejected and Congress could do nothing about it. Also, the requirement of two-thirds majority for making decisions resulted in a slow legislative process. Without an executive branch the country lacked a clear, decisive leader. Because of these weaknesses the Articles of Confederation was a failure in creating a prosperous country that could support and defend itself and its people. Without a judicial branch the states had no established system of judgment. The weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation left the United States with no choice but to start from scratch. The government then sold the land and kept the profits. Rawlin Lowndes defended the Articles of Confederation in front of the South Carolina House of Representatives (Document H). attempt to tax by asking the Rhode Island Assembly for permission to tax imported goods (Document A).
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