Articles of Confederation

The years 1781-1789 presented a critical period in American history and were a decisive time in the development of our country. Congress was in financial ruin, and was unable to enforce its power upon the states, which were arguing among themselves over issues such as state boundaries and interstate commerce. In fact, the financial situation in the United States during this period was so deplorable that it led to Daniel Shay's rebellion in 1787, in which poor farmers closed a number of state courts and threatened to seize the federal arsenal in Springfield- they were eventually put down not by the weak federal government but by a state militia from Massachusetts. Upon studying further into the early history of our country, however, one can see that the principal reason for this nationwide civil chaos and unrest was due to the nation's weak early written Constitution- the Articles of Confederation.…