Lesson 2: The Confederation Government

Lesson Focus

Under the Articles of Confederation, the young United States faced severe instability. We will explore the foreign policy troubles, challenges of westward expansion, and internal conflicts that demonstrated the weaknesses of America's first government.

People to Know

George Washington, Daniel Shays

Learning Objectives

• Discuss the major foreign policy problems the new United States faced with nations like Britain, Spain, and France.
• Explain the process of settling the West and the landmark ordinances Congress created to govern new territories.
• Identify domestic problems, like disputes between states and Shays's Rebellion, that threatened the nation’s survival.

After the Revolution, the U.S. faced disrespect from European powers during the 1780s. Great Britain refused to abandon northern forts and restricted trade, while the U.S. failed to honor treaty terms regarding Loyalists and debts. Spain, fearing American expansion, disputed southern borders and denied western settlers the right of deposit at New Orleans. These conflicts revealed the Confederation's diplomatic weakness and hurt the nation's economy, showing the new country was not yet respected.

The Barbary Pirates of North Africa posed a humiliating problem for the new nation. Without the protection of the British navy, American ships were vulnerable to capture in the Mediterranean. The pirates demanded tribute, or payment for safe passage, but the Confederation Congress lacked the funds to pay or a navy to defend its ships. As a result, American sailors were captured and U.S. commerce was effectively blocked from this important trade region.

As settlers moved west of the Appalachians during the 1780s, Congress sought to create order and raise money. It passed the Land Ordinance of 1785, which established a grid system for surveying and selling public land. Then, the Northwest Ordinance of 1787 created a process for territories to become states, guaranteeing rights and prohibiting slavery north of the Ohio River. Pay special attention to how this created a democratic model for expansion.

Under the weak Articles of Confederation, states often acted like separate, competing countries. Lacking a central authority to regulate trade, states taxed goods from their neighbors, which harmed commerce and created tension. They also argued over territorial boundaries, nearly leading to armed conflict. Furthermore, each state printed its own currency, which had inconsistent value and made interstate business difficult. This disunity threatened the idea of a single nation.

A severe economic depression after the war left many farmers in debt. In Massachusetts, when courts began seizing farms, former captain Daniel Shays led an armed uprising known as Shays's Rebellion in 1786-1787. The rebels closed courts and tried to seize a federal arsenal. The rebellion was crushed, but it terrified leaders like George Washington, proving the national government was too weak to maintain order and needed to be strengthened.