The Articles of Confederation and the Bill of Rights :: American History Governmental Rights Essays

The Articles of Confederation 1776 brought a declaration of and a war for independence to Britain’s North American colonies. While they had all acted in concert to reach this decision, their memories of colonial life under the centralized British monarchy had lasting effect upon their views of what the federal government of their new republic would have the power to do. In the years following the Declaration of Independence, Congress came up with the Articles of Confederation to loosely govern the new republic at the federal level. 1781 found all 13 states ratifying the Articles of the Confederation as well as the conclusion of the War for Independence, with the signing of the Treaty of Paris. Already, the weaknesses of the Articles of the Confederation were beginning to show.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Every one of the 13 colonies suffered economic setbacks as a result of the War for Independence. Devalued American currency as a result of the Congress’ habit of printing new paper money to cover the new republic’s war debt and the British blockade created high prices for goods. The end of the war hardly helped the situation as Congress found itself powerless to levy taxes to pay off the war debt, powerless to regulate trade with other nations, and powerless to regulate workers wages and the price of goods.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This unregulated economic climate provoked citizens who were shouldering much of the debt as a result. Farmers of western Massachusetts who saw banks moving to foreclose on the mortgages of their farms demanded that the government do something to protect them in their time of financial need. They saw the lower legislative house of Massachusetts draft and approve a measure, which included relief measures for them. Under the influence of the farmers’ creditors, the upper house blocked the actions of the lower house, which further enraged these local farmers. In 1786, a captain of the old Continental army Daniel Shays, led 2000 armed farmers against the state government. They shut down county courts to prevent foreclosure proceedings on their farms, and marched on the Federal Arsenal at Springfield, evidently to properly arm themselves.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Eventually in 1787, the Massachusetts state militia put down the rebellion. Both sides in the mess were unhappy with the new republic’s role (or lack thereof) in the crisis. Farmers were unhappy that the government wasn’t taking steps to protect their property from creditors, and creditors were unhappy that the The Articles of Confederation and the Bill of Rights :: American History Governmental Rights Essays The Articles of Confederation 1776 brought a declaration of and a war for independence to Britain’s North American colonies. While they had all acted in concert to reach this decision, their memories of colonial life under the centralized British monarchy had lasting effect upon their views of what the federal government of their new republic would have the power to do. In the years following the Declaration of Independence, Congress came up with the Articles of Confederation to loosely govern the new republic at the federal level. 1781 found all 13 states ratifying the Articles of the Confederation as well as the conclusion of the War for Independence, with the signing of the Treaty of Paris. Already, the weaknesses of the Articles of the Confederation were beginning to show.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Every one of the 13 colonies suffered economic setbacks as a result of the War for Independence. Devalued American currency as a result of the Congress’ habit of printing new paper money to cover the new republic’s war debt and the British blockade created high prices for goods. The end of the war hardly helped the situation as Congress found itself powerless to levy taxes to pay off the war debt, powerless to regulate trade with other nations, and powerless to regulate workers wages and the price of goods.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This unregulated economic climate provoked citizens who were shouldering much of the debt as a result. Farmers of western Massachusetts who saw banks moving to foreclose on the mortgages of their farms demanded that the government do something to protect them in their time of financial need. They saw the lower legislative house of Massachusetts draft and approve a measure, which included relief measures for them. Under the influence of the farmers’ creditors, the upper house blocked the actions of the lower house, which further enraged these local farmers. In 1786, a captain of the old Continental army Daniel Shays, led 2000 armed farmers against the state government. They shut down county courts to prevent foreclosure proceedings on their farms, and marched on the Federal Arsenal at Springfield, evidently to properly arm themselves.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Eventually in 1787, the Massachusetts state militia put down the rebellion. Both sides in the mess were unhappy with the new republic’s role (or lack thereof) in the crisis. Farmers were unhappy that the government wasn’t taking steps to protect their property from creditors, and creditors were unhappy that the