The Articles of Confederation were the first constitution of the United States of America, and they helped shape the form of government used today. Under the Articles of Confederation, there were many achievements made by the United States Government. The Revolutionary War was conducted under the Second Continental Congress whose members wrote the Articles of Confederation because they needed a way to govern the country. The military had hardships but were given the supplies they needed during the war as a result. The United States also defeated the British under the Articles of Confederation. After the Revolutionary war was won, the American diplomats got the recognition of American independence by European governments. In France, France …show more content…
The first problem was that the articles prevented Congress from being able to tax, resulting in very little money for the government. All Congress could do was ask the states to help pay to support the national government and many of the states refused. Another shortcoming was Congress had no power over state government and their individual citizens. As a result, state governments and citizens often ignored the national laws being passed and Congress had no way of enforcing them as it had no money. Additionally, Congress could not force states to follow trade agreements with other nations. Foreign countries were unwilling to trade with the United States because its citizens refused to pay for imported goods. Congress also had no power to oversee trade with in the states. States would tax goods from one state to another; this lead to slow business and job loss. Lasty, citizens thought that a strong national government was needed to protect their property rights. Congress could not control the country and people were worried about what would happen. When Shay’s Rebellion began, lead by Daniel Shay, it convinced many Americans that it was time for a change in the constitution. Marquis de Lafayette, a French nobleman who fought with the colonists in the Revolutionary War, stated, “Our Articles of Confederation ought