The Articles of Confederation
From 1781-1789 the Articles of Confederation provided a weak form of central government which lacked foreign respect, was in an economic depression, and had no domestic control. Although one of the provisions of the Treaty of Paris (1783) was for Great Britain to abandon the Northwest Territory, they did not. Britain was in direct violation of the Treaty of Paris and America had little power for enforcing this. Moreover, the British attitude towards the former colonies was resentful. The British Orders in Council (1783) barred American trade, and hurt overseas interests. Great Britain was building up exports to America, but holding imports to a minimum which hurt the economy greatly. Not only was America's relationship with B
Let the states govern their own affairs, and the liberties of the people will most likely be protected. In 1784 Spain closed off the Mississippi to American trade, which prevented farmers from selling their goods from beyond the Appalachians to the continental states. ritain one-sided, but the former colonies had problems relating with Spain. As a result of the Revolution, the United States had around forty two million dollars in debt, mostly to patriots and war veterans. The disadvantaged states without ports could not import goods directly into their state and had to rely on neighboring states with ports. Consumers, farmers, and merchants bore the brunt of these policies, but appeals for change accomplished nothing. Because of an underlying fear of a strong central government, Americans wanted a government that required a close relationship with the people. These neighboring states often charged to transport goods either into or out of the state. Some states began to tax heavily to pay off debts, however, with the economy far from booming, many citizens were often unable to pay and therefore imprisoned. The Articles of Confederation was a pact between thirteen states that agreed to delegate certain powers for specific purposes, not one that granted general powers to a central government. Interstate trade wars developed because states with clear commercial advantages abused their power. Although a stronger central government might have been more effective in settling these foreign problems, America was too weak militarily and economically to challenge a European country. The only recourse for the states without ports was to retaliate by enacting their own tariffs on imported goods. Because of the unfavorable trade relations and the need to pay off debts, the states began printing their own money, which soon became worthless.
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