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Stemming with war time urgency, the Articles of Confederation were written constitution of the United States. Its process had been slowed down by fears of central authority and extensive land claims by states before it was ratified on March 1, 1781. Congress was allowed the authority to make alliances, treaties, maintain armed forces, and coin money. What led to the Constitutional Convention in 1787 was the central government lacking the ability to levy taxes and regulate commerce issues. From the beginning of the American Revolution, Congress felt the need for a stronger union and a government powerful enough to defeat Great Britain. With large numbers of slaves, the southern states opposed this requirement, arguing that taxes should be based on the number of white inhabitants. It failed to pass. Under the Articles, each state retained its “sovereignty, freedom, and independence.” The old weakness of the First and Second Continental Congresses remained: the new Congress could not levy taxes, nor could it regulate commerce. This provision, like many in the Articles, indicated that powerful provincial loyalties–and suspicions of central authority–persisted. In the 1780s–the so-called Critical Period–state actions powerfully affected politics and economic life. For the most part, business prospered and the economy grew.

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Well the US never have gained the Louisiana territory from France since the Constitution invented the idea of the American president.  Meaning Jefferson never negotiated with France in getting the territory.

This would drastically reduce America’s potential size and limit it to the East of the Mississippi.

New territories would essentially form small independent nations who would then align with the fellow confederation of independent small states.  Since the small North American states would not be truly a real country the political aspect of the continent would be different drastically from our timeline

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Shay’s Rebellion- Who, What, When, Where and Why?

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Shay’s Rebellion- Who, What, When, Where and Why?

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- who: Daniel Shay, American Farmer, Rebels, federal arsenal, state militia, General Benjamin Lincoln...
- what: series of protest in 1786 and 1787 by American farmers against state and local enforcement of tax collections and judgement for debt.
- when: Aug. 31st, 1786- June 1787
- where: located mostly in and around Springfield, Massachusetts.

- why:  In 1787, poor farmers from western Massachusetts fighting against high taxes followed Daniel Shays in an attempt to seize the arms stockpiled at the Springfield Armory. Learn more about the Armory and its role in Massachusetts history here.

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What if the Articles of Confederation remained the law of the land?

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What if the Articles of Confederation remained the law of the land?

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- failed court system
- no national currency
- national gov. would lack means to raise money for essential services
-lack power to enforce treaties
- Efforts to amend the Articles would likely be doomed

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The federal government, under the Articles, was too weak to enforce their laws and therefore had no power. The Continental Congress had borrowed money to fight the Revolutionary War and could not repay their debts.

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- the articles set the legislative body (congress) as the highest power in the nation bc of the fear of monarchy.
- congress had the power to declare war, assign treaties, entertain foreign relations, and operate post offices.
- disputes between states and territorial issues were to be brought to congress.
- the articles also stipulated that Canada was allowed to enter the union if the desired.