1985 DBQ

From 1781 to 1789 the Articles of Confederation did not provide the U.S. with an effective government because of the weakness of the Articles. The Constitution is stronger and much more effective than the Articles. Under the Articles congress could not collect money, we couldn’t pay our bills, and the government had no good way to stop rebellion. The constitution improved on this in many ways. I don’t think the Articles would be so bad if we did not have to compare them to the much greater Constitution. Even the sewer colony that accepted all religions and everyone had the Rhode Island Assembly reject the recommendation of Congress to tax imported goods (DOC A). Their reasoning was that it would be unequal in its operation; it proposes to introduce into this and the other states, and granting Congress a power to collect moneys from the commerce of states (DOC A). “Every class of public creditors must know the inability of Congress to pay their demands…” (DOC C) This country with a lot of debt needs to have some way to repay that debt. That is common sense. When we were not a country, we made $6555000 in 1775. When we became a country, our peak profits from exported goods between 1784-1792 was 4901000. We were making less as a country and we owed a lot more. (DOC B) John Jay’s Instructions to the United States Minister of Great Britain pretty much said that we want more territory, they need to get their troops out of our territory, and we can’t pay our bills. (DOC D) In DOC E, you can see how they gave land to the Government. They had most of the South by the time of 1802. John Jay gave a speech to Congress on Negotiations with Spain’s Minister Diego de Gardoqui (DOC F) on the navigation of the Mississippi and the territorial limits between them and us. Mr. Gardoqui strongly insisted on relinquishing our right to navigate the Mississippi. “I have often reminded him that the adjacent country was filling fast with people; and that the time must and would