3.7 The Articles of Confederation

After the United States won the American Revolution and gained independence from Great Britain, the new nation was faced with the task of creating a government to replace the British colonial government that had previously controlled the colonies.

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State Constitutions

So what kind of laws did the U.S. have before the Constitution? After declaring independence from Britain, the Second Continental Congress asked each state to create its own state constitution. The states would write laws that reflected the new ideas of democracy.

The newly written laws would include bills of rights and yearly elections of legislators and weak executive branches. Massachusetts drafted its constitution and then submitted it to the people for ratification. This would later be copied in ratifying the national Constitution.

Articles of Confederation

Just before the Declaration of Independence in 1776, a committee from the Second Continental Congress wrote a set of laws called the Articles of Confederation. These articles were the first constitution of the United States, and they established a loose confederation of states with a weak central government. The central government was given only limited powers, such as the power to conduct foreign relations and regulate trade between the states. Each state retained most of its power, and the central government could not tax or regulate commerce.

👎 Weaknesses of the Articles

The government under the Articles of Confederation proved to be ineffective in many ways, and it was soon clear that a new government needed to be established. Be sure to be familiar with the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation:

| Congress had no power to levy or collect taxes | The government was always short of money | | Congress had no power to regulate foreign trade | Quarrels broke out among states and trading with other countries was difficult | | Congress had no power to enforce laws | The government depended on the states for law enforcement | | Approval of 9/13 states was needed to enact laws | It was difficult to enact laws because of disagreements among the states | | 13/13 states needed to approve amendments to the Articles | There was no practical way to change or amend the powers of the government when problems arose | | The government had no executive branch, reflecting colonial suspicions of tyranny and federal authority. | There was no effective way to coordinate the work of the government | | There was no national court system | The central government had no way to settle disputes among the states. |

💪 Strengths of the Articles

Although there were many weaknesses of the Articles, there were two strengths. Congress placed newly acquired western lands under its control for the benefit of all states:

1. The Land Ordinance of 1785 - allowed the federal government to sell western lands to pay off the national debt and organize these new lands into townships and public schools.1. The new nation was "land rich," but was "money poor." Government leaders looked for ways to use the land to fund services, such as public education! This ordinance set a precedent for the public funding of schools.1. As mentioned, it also established a plan for dividing the land. The government would first survey the land, and then divide it into townships. Individuals could purchase a section of land and even further divide it into smaller units.1. Government leaders hoped the buyers of this land would develop farms and establish communities, developing settlements across the western territories.

2. The Northwest Ordinance of 1787 - set a process for new states to join the United States of America, ensuring the country would continue to grow. New states were equal in status to existing states (the 13 colonies).1. Congress would appoint a territorial governor and judges1. When the territory reached 5,000 voting residents, which were at the time white males, the settlers could write a temporary constitution and elect their own government.1. When the population reached 60,000 free inhabitants, the settlers could write a state constitution, which had to be approved by Congress. Once approved, the state would be granted statehood with no slavery allowed.

Shay's Rebellion

Shays' Rebellion was a series of armed protests that occurred in Massachusetts between 1786 and 1787, led by Revolutionary War veteran Daniel Shays. This uprising highlighted the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation and helped convince many Americans of the need for a stronger central government.

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Causes of the Rebellion

The rebellion emerged from several interconnected economic and political problems:

• War debt crisis - After the Revolutionary War, Massachusetts imposed heavy taxes to pay off its war debts

• Economic hardship - Many farmers faced mounting personal debts and potential foreclosure on their farms

• Currency shortage - A lack of paper money made it difficult for farmers to pay their debts and taxes

• Veteran grievances - Soldiers like Shays had been discharged without receiving promised pay for their service

• Unresponsive government - Many farmers felt the state legislature ignored their petitions for debt relief

The Uprising

The rebellion unfolded in stages as rural discontent escalated into armed conflict:

1. Initially, farmers held peaceful conventions and petitioned the state legislature for relief
2. When legal measures failed, protesters began forcibly closing county courts to prevent foreclosure proceedings
3. Daniel Shays emerged as a leader, organizing several hundred farmers into a more coordinated resistance
4. The rebellion reached its peak in January 1787 when Shays led approximately 1,500 men in an attack on the federal arsenal at Springfield

Suppression and Aftermath

The Massachusetts state government responded forcefully to the uprising:

• Governor James Bowdoin raised a private army funded by wealthy merchants
• This militia defeated Shays' forces at Springfield and pursued the rebels
• Most rebels were eventually captured, though Shays escaped to Vermont
• While some leaders were sentenced to death, most received pardons when a more sympathetic governor took office

Significance for the Early Republic

Shays' Rebellion had profound effects on American political development:

• Exposed weaknesses in the Articles of Confederation:

  • The national government could not raise troops to suppress the rebellion
  • It lacked the power to address economic problems that had caused the crisis
  • It could not protect states from internal threats

• Influenced Constitutional Convention:

  • The rebellion occurred just months before the Constitutional Convention
  • It convinced many elites that a stronger central government was necessary
  • It demonstrated the need for a government that could maintain order while addressing legitimate grievances

• Shaped specific Constitutional provisions:

  • Power to tax to pay national debts
  • Authority to establish a uniform currency
  • Ability to raise an army to "suppress insurrections"
  • Limitations on states' abilities to interfere with contracts

Shays' Rebellion represented a crucial moment in early American history where the ideals of the Revolution confronted the realities of governance. While viewed by some as a dangerous mob, others saw Shays and his followers as upholding the revolutionary principles of resistance to unjust authority. Ultimately, the rebellion helped push the nation toward creating the stronger federal government enshrined in the Constitution.

Perhaps no document has shaped the United States more than the U.S. Constitution, and the U.S. Constitution probably wouldn't have been developed had it not been for Shays' rebellion.