NEW FREEDOM, NEW CHALLENGES
CHALLENGE #1 – MILITARY WEAKNESS
Under the terms of the Treaty to Paris in 1783, Great Britain was to turn over “with all convenient speed” their forts on the American side of the Great Lakes. The United States wanted to gain control of these forts because they protected valuable land and fur-trade routes. Still, Great Britain hesitated in withdrawing from the area. A British official has even warned against the United States trying to seize the forts by force. He said, “any attempt to do so would be opposed by the thousands of British soldiers” who had settled in Canada and “are ready to fly to arms at a moment’s warning.” To make matters worse, the new nation does not have a military force. The Continental Army no longer exists because it was disbanded (dissolved) after the signing of the Treaty of Paris.
Part I - PREDICTING CONSEQUENCES
You are a member of the Congress of Confederation (the new name for the Continental Congress). Considering the military weakness of the United States at this time, predict the consequences likely to follow (economically, politically, socially/culturally, militarily, international relations) if the United States cannot remove Great Britain from its forts in the Northwest Territories?
Part II - MAKING SOLUTIONS
Create a solution to this problem using the powers now given to you as a Congress under the Articles of Confederation.
· What would you do? How would you do it?
CHALLENGE #2 – FOREIGN TRADE
The economic condition of the country was getting worse by the day. The United States faced major trading problems as a result of British control of its ports and Spain’s control of the Mississippi River. Before the Revolutionary War, colonial ships had traded a great deal with the British West Indies. After the signing of the Treaty of Paris in 1783, Britain closed many of these same ports to American ships. This devastated American farmers, as they could no longer export their goods to the British West Indies for profit. Farmers also lost money due to the fact that they had to hire British ships to carry their goods to British markets.
As American exports dropped, British goods flowed freely into the United States. Britain also forced American merchants to pay high tariffs (taxes) on imported goods that were grown or mined in the United States and then sold in Britain. As a result, merchants had to raise prices of their own goods to cover the tariffs. Ultimately, the costs would be passed on to customers, who had to pay higher prices for the goods. This unequal trade caused serious economic problems for the new nation. British merchants could sell manufactured products in the United States at much lower prices than locally made goods. This difference in prices hurt American businesses.
To make matters worse, in 1784 Spanish officials closed the lower Mississippi River to U.S. shipping. Western farmers and merchants are furious because they used the Mississippi to send goods to eastern and foreign markets. Congress tried to work out an agreement with Spain, but the plan did not receive a majority vote in Congress and Spain has now broken off negotiations.
Part I - PREDICTING CONSEQUENCES
You are a member of the Congress of Confederation (the new name for the Continental Congress). Considering the military weakness of the United States at this time, predict the consequences likely to follow (economically, politically, socially/culturally, militarily, international relations) if the United States cannot overcome the trade challenges being brought against it by Great Britain and Spain.
Part II - MAKING SOLUTIONS
Create a solution to this problem using the powers now given to you as a Congress under the Articles of Confederation.
· What would you do? How would you do it?
CHALLENGE #3 – INTERSTATE COMMERCE (TRADE AMONG STATES)
Under the Articles of Confederation, the states were empowered to act independently as sovereign (independent) states. Therefore, when it came to trading goods amongst themselves, each state followed its own trade interests even if it came at the expense of their neighboring states. As a result, trade laws differed from state to state making trade for merchants whose businesses crossed state lines very difficult.
For example, New York imposed a fee on vessels traveling to and from Connecticut and New Jersey. Not to be outdone, New Jersey imposed its own tax on a New York- owned lighthouse on New Jersey soil. New Jersey, lying between New York City and Philadelphia found its imports heavily taxed. Leaders in other states watched attentively and considered placing their own taxes on products from neighboring states.
Part I - PREDICTING CONSEQUENCES
You are a member of the Congress of Confederation (the new name for the Continental Congress), predict the consequences that are likely to follow regarding economic trade and national unity if the states cannot effectively trade amongst one another.
Part II - MAKING SOLUTIONS
Create a solution to this problem using the powers now given to you as a Congress under the Articles of Confederation.
· What would you do? How would you do it?
CHALLENGE #4 – INFLATION & A WEAK ECONOMY
The states faced enormous debt after the Revolutionary War. To ease this hardship, some states began printing large amounts of paper money that resulted in inflation. Inflation occurs when there are increased prices for goods and services combined with the reduced value of money. Because the states did not have gold or silver reserves to back up the money they were printing, the money they were printing had little or no real value.
For example, in Rhode Island the state legislature printed large amounts of paper money worth very little. This made debtors—people who owe money—quite happy. They could pay back their debts with paper money worth less than the coins they had borrowed. However, creditors—people who lend money—were upset because the money they were being repaid with was of less value than the money they had originally loaned out. As a result, hundreds of creditors fled Rhode Island to avoid being paid back with worthless money.
Part I - PREDICTING CONSEQUENCES
You are a member of the Congress of Confederation (the new name for the Continental Congress). Predict the consequences that are likely to follow (economically, politically, socially/culturally, militarily, international relations) if the United States continues to lose trade with Great Britain and inflation continues to rise?
Part II - MAKING SOLUTIONS
Create a solution to this problem using the powers now given to you as a Congress under the Articles of Confederation.
· What would you do? How would you do it?
CHALLENGE #5 – INTERNAL INSURRECTION
Under the Articles of Confederation, the new nation also had serious money problems. The paper money printed by Congress during the war was worthless. Congress had the power to make coins that would not lose their value, but it lacked the gold or silver to mint into coins. The states reacted to the money shortage by printing their own paper currency (money). Before long, bills of different sizes and colors were floating from state to state. No one knew what any of these currencies were worth, but most agreed that they were not worth much.
The money shortage was particularly hard on farmers who could not earn enough to pay their debts and taxes. In Massachusetts, judges ordered farmers to sell their land and livestock to pay of their debts. Led by Daniel Shays, Massachusetts’s farmers rebelled. Shays and his followers closed down courthouses to keep judges from taking their farms. Then they marched on the national arsenal at Springfield to seize the weapons stored there. Massachusetts has asked the national government for help to put down Shays’s Rebellion, but you (Congress) have disbanded the Continental Army.
Part I - PREDICTING CONSEQUENCES
You are a member of the Congress of Confederation (the new name for the Continental Congress). Predict the consequences likely to follow (economically, politically, socially/culturally, militarily, international relations) that are likely to follow if the new government of the United States cannot put down rebellions within its own borders.
Part II - MAKING SOLUTIONS
Create a solution to this problem using the powers now given to you as a Congress under the Articles of Confederation.
· What would you do? How would you do it?
CHALLENGE #6 – DEVELOPING WESTERN LANDS
The Ohio territory had been closed to white settlement by the Proclamation of 1763. Now that the Revolutionary War was over, colonists resumed moving into the Ohio River valley. Being that there was no orderly way of dividing up and selling the land north of the Ohio River and east of the Mississippi, states such as North Carolina, Virginia and Georgia, simply extended their borders and began claiming sections of the new territory, much to the dismay of smaller coastal states.
Congress must decide what to do with the western lands now under its control. How should the Northwest Territories be divided up? Should there be population criteria that a territory should have to meet in order for it to be recognized as a state? Should slavery be allowed? Will education be mandatory? Do people in the “territories” have the same rights as citizens living in the “states” of the 13 colonies?
Part I - PREDICTING CONSEQUENCES
You are a member of the Congress of Confederation (the new name for the Continental Congress). Predict the consequences (economically, politically, socially/culturally, militarily, international relations) that are likely to follow if the new government of the United States cannot develop a plan to settle and develop western lands acquired by the United States after the American Revolutionary war?
Part II - MAKING SOLUTIONS
Create a solution to this problem using the powers now given to you as a Congress under the Articles of Confederation.
· What would you do? How would you do it?
Because of their experience with Great Britain, the states feared having a tyrannical leader or too powerful of a central government. The writers of the Articles of Confederation kept this in mind and made no provision for an executive branch.
Power of Congress under the Articles of Confederation
Congress (One branch, no president or supreme court)
- Each state had one equal vote (Size didn’t matter)
o 9/13 states needed to approve major new laws.
o Unanimous approval of the states required to change provisions of the Articles of Confederation
- Settle disputes among states
- Make treaties with other countries & Native Americans
- Issue coins
- Borrow money
- No power to tax (National gov’t can levy taxes, but states have to refuse).
- Ask for soldiers (National gov’t can ask for soldiers, but states have the right to refuse).
The Continental Congress had been careful to give the states as much independence as possible. The Congress was made weak on purpose. Articles deliberately established a confederation of sovereign states, carefully specifying the limited functions of the federal governmentBut, in attempting to limit the power of the central government, the Second Continental Congress created one without sufficient power to govern effectively.
No power to tax.
Unable to collect money to pay for debt.
Unable to collect money to pay for soldiers.
Unable to pay your soldiers, you can’t defend against the actions of
Britain and Spain.
Continental money is worthless.
States pretty much ignore you and print their own money.
Unable to regulate trade and commerce resulting in tariff wars.