Articles Of Confederation Problems

Main Problems under the Articles of Confederation After the colonies were able to break away from the choking hold that Great Britain had on them, the colonists required a new government to help their new nation thrive. Many feared that this new nation would be ruled by tyranny, just as the king had ruled them, and opposed a strong central government. The Founding Fathers had to take this into consideration when they drafted the Articles of Confederation. They wanted the people to feel as if they were not controlled by a higher power and that they were not required to do anything unless the majority agreed to do so. This helped the colonists feel more secure about staying in this new world, but it also posed a threat to the nation as a whole.

Initially, the limited power that the government possessed was in order for the United States to avoid another tyrannical rule. They had just broken away from a harsh ruler and were not willing to fall into the hands of another. They wanted to make sure that they had their rights and that the government would not interfere with them. As stated earlier, this did not help the nation as a whole. With its limited power, the government did not have the right to tax any state and it could not force them to pay either. Therefore they had to borrow money from them in order to pay war debts. This would seem like a delightful plan to the nation's citizens, since they did not feel obliged to pay, but many of the states did not let congress borrow any money and left the nation in an ocean of debt. Without the taxation, there was no way for the nation to repay the countries who helped during the war, and left the United States in an awkward position. In addition to this, it was very difficult for the government to control the states. Without the branches present, as we have today, it was difficult to get anything done or to have the states obey

They did not see themselves as part of the United States, but citizens of their own states. With this, the states began to tax each other unfairly and caused several disputes among them. For example, Florida, which grows oranges, would tax Georgia at a higher price than necessary and Georgia would be upset. Some states even taxed others at different rates depending on who they got along with. A more drastic issue, was the problem with the currency. States were actually allowed to print their own paper money, which meant that almost every state had a different currency. This caused problems with trade, inside and outside the nation's borders. What was the true worth of something when you don't even know how one country's money compares in value with that of another country who has several different currencies according to all the different states? Or how could you buy essentials from other states when nobody had the same money? When the Constitution was ratified, there was a nationwide currency that helped end the trading issues that arose from the money currency and also helped unified that states while the Articles of Confederation instead seemed to drive the states apart. The nation felt more like thirteen small, individual nations than a large whole one before the Constitution. Another reason why the country seemed to