Was America really neutral in world war I ?

World War I also known as “The war to end all wars” was the earths first global military conflict. Fought between Allied Powers and the Central Powers the war lasted for five to six years. There were four head concepts that caused the beginning of the war. The rise of nationalism between different European ethnic groups ,that had along ago been take into the European empires, were now looking for elected governments that would strive for their interest, such as the Austro-Hungarian empire .The growth of imperialism thru out Europe created hostilities and or rivalries between countries for newly discovered colonies ,such as Germany and Britain fighting over Africa. The formation of secret/non-secret alliances ,in result of imperialist rivalries, were made for example the Central Powers. Increased militarism by key European empires such as France , Britain, and Germany. When World War I broke out the United States declared its policy of neutrality. The fact of the matter is that the united states was never truly neutral. This is due Political. Economic, Social .


From the beginning of the war the united states issue a policy of neutrality . This policy stated that the united states would remain out of war as a neutral party. President Wilson believed that the U.S being neutral could some how negotiate this war to an end . From the beginning there were problems with neutrality. This started with the British seizing any ship they saw. The united states argued that they were violating international law. The British argued back that these ships carried contraband intended for Germany , which would be against the united states policy. On the other side of the playing field Germany was having there own share of infractions. early on in the war the Germans had declared British water was a war zone and they begin unrestricted warfare on ships. After the sinking of the Lusitania ,the United States was furious. A American Customs Inspector In New York question if the Lusitania had ammunition on it and who was it cosigned to (Doc F). It was answered that there were 5468 cases and it was cosigned to a ammunition store in Woolwich , England. This is not neutral cause it suggest that the U.S. is with the allies. Wilson then threatened to severe diplomatic relations if Germany cautioned unrestricted submarine warfare .in 1915 the Germans sent the New York Times a message to all travelers of the sea that any ship headed to Britain would be attack(Doc E). This shows the us no being neutral because the us gave the Germans a reason to even believe that we were allies with Britain. Soon again two Americans were injured .Wilson sent another warning to the Germans which resulted in the Sussex pledge. In 1917 the Germans begin unrestricted warfare again and Wilson lead the united states into war.


The biggest problem about the war for the united states was that it interfered with international trade. Since the beginning the British and Germans had been blockading non neutral ports. The British would blocked Germany to cut off supplies for them as well as the allies. Robert Lansing , the former secretary of state during world war 1wrote in his memoirs wrote about how ships would be delayed for weeks because of searching’s(Doc C). This shows that there were major hostilities between neutral countries and each of the powers. The united states being a powerful countries it was suspicious to have them trade with enemy countries. But from 1914-1917 trade between the allies was bountifully increase where as trade with Germany had decrease intensely. The united states was growing more closer to joining the war on the allies side. Especially when the united states allowed J.P Morgan loan France and Britain $3 Billion dollars.

The American public was very influential before the ware. The views of the public were secreted among ethnic groups but it seemed certain that the majority of the public were for the allies. In 1914 Professor Hugo Munsterberg wrote a letter to Wilson about the neutrality question ( Doc B). He stated the united states was technically was on the side of the allies because when the British violated the international law we didn’t to anything. March 1, 1917 the Zimmerman note was intercepted. The note was from the Germanys foreign minister, Alfred Zimmerman , to Mexico. It proposed a deal with Mexico , if Mexico joined the war on the central powers side then the states they lose in the Mexican-American war would be returned. This angered the public very much and this forced Wilson to step into war.


Thou the united states in the beginning was neutral that soon faded. April 2, 1917 Wilson urged congress to declare war. The united states was inevitably going to enter the war. The Germans hunger for power was creating chaos in Europe . Des Moines Redighter illustrated the Idea in a picture called Python (Doc I). It Depicts a python (Germany) apparently poisoning Europe . This relates to the united states because once Germany had take over Europe then trade would be dead and the Germans would try to take over America. This made the U.S. side with the allies from the beginning which was not neutral.


The United States was never really neutral .the unrestricted warfare on the behalf of the Germans. The economic deals and loans. The incite of the public were all reasons why the united states was not neutral. Thou Wilson tried to keep his country out of war he did not succeed . But the United states entering the war was actually what helped end it so maybe we should thank the Germans.

To what extent is the statement,"The primary factor in the united states adopting a policy of imperialism was econmic" , correct?

Even before the Civil war the United states had started to expand into the west. By the end of the nineteenth century the expansion of the united states from the Atlantic to the Pacific was complete. This all due to the many treaties of war, conquests, and gaining land from the native Americansand orther countries. With the Continent conquered , the united states decide to expand beyond its borders. Imperialism played a big part in U.S. Territorial expansion. through imperialism the united states began their international empire with the victory of the Spanish - American war. The primary factor in the united states adopting a policy of imperialism was not completely economic. To be correct the primary factor was political. this is due to the basic role of imperialism ,the closing of the frontier, the justifications of imperialism , supporters of imperialism.


Imperialism can be found through out history. Imperialism is the ideology of extending a nation's authority by territorial conquest establishing economic and political domination of other nations.their are two types of imperialism they are formal and informal. Formal imperialism is when a nation directly politically and military takes over a country. Some examples of this is is when the united states had the acquisition s of Guam ,Hawaii ,and Puerto Rico.Informal imperialism is when nations take control by drafting treaties and policy's.One policy is the Open Door policy which allowed the any area to penetrate by imperialism nations such as the united states.





Before the united states could expand beyond it boundaries it had to conquer the whole Continent first. the united states had been collecting territory since 1783 with the first Treaty of Paris.during the end of the nineteenth century the whole Continent was almost conquered all that was left were the native American territories. Indians were encouraged to sell their vast tribal lands and become "civilized", which meant for Native American society to reorganize and destroy traditional customs. this resulted in major many tragic crime such as the battle of little big horn when general Armstrong Custer's army slaughtered all the Sioux women and children. Alternate ways of perstion were assimilation and The Dawes-Severlaty Act.



Imperialism being a touchy subject many tried to come up with justifications for imperialism. Alfred T. Mahan’s view of imperialism was the United States now being a world power it must develop a great navy. It would increase the militaries power and also the United States new global standing. But first the U.S. had to acquire colonies. This book also affected Theodore Roosevelt who was also a historian. Another justification is of religion. This meant that if we went to other “uncivilized” countries and Christianize them to make them “civilized” it would be religiously justified.

Radical Republican : The better plan

After the war it was time to rebuild the south .Reconstruction resolved the issues of the American Civil War, after the Confederacy was defeated. Reconstruction Was also way addressed how southern states would return to the Union.Violent controversy erupted over how to tackle those issues. By the late 1870s Reconstruction had made some progress to provide the Freedmen with equal rights under the law. Republican leaders agreed that slavery and the Slave Power had to be permanently destroyed, and that all forms of Confederate nationalism had to be suppressed. Moderates said this could be easily accomplished as soon as Confederate armies surrendered and the Southern states repealed secession and ratified the 13 Amendment—all of which happened by September 1865. The only way to resolve these problems were to appoint a effective plan.There were three important plans.These plans were of Lincoln, Johnson ,and the Radical Republicans.Between the three the were similarities and differences. The Most Persuasive was congresses plan. This is due to their the Moral values of the Radical Republicans, Civil Rights Act of 1866, Freedmen's Bureau Bill.



The Radical Republicans is a term applied to a faction of American politicians within the Republican party from about 1854 until after Reconstruction. The Radical Republicans opposed Lincoln's "too easy" terms for reuniting the United States following the end of the Civil War. Using membership within the Joint Committee on Reconstruction, the Radical Republicans demanded a more aggressive prosecution of the war, the faster end to slavery and defeat of the Confederacy.During the American Civil War, and later into the first part of Reconstruction, the leading Radicals were Thaddeus Stevens in the House, Charles Sumner in the Senate, and John C. Frémont as the 1864 U.S. presidential candidate of the Radical Republicans. Because they had a majority in Congress, the Republicans pursued impeachment of former southern Democrat Andrew Johnson when he tried to subvert their duly passed legislation.





The Radical Republicans, being a loose variety of republicans, as said before were the Marjory of the government. They believed in ending the war as quickly as possible. In addition ,they also believed in the freedom of slaves and the equal right for blacks.By 1866 the Radical Republicans supported federal civil rights for freedmen. By 1867 they defined terms for suffrage for freed slaves and limited early suffrage for many ex-Confederates. While Johnson opposed the Radical Republicans on some issues, the decisive Congressional elections of 1866 gave the radicals enough votes to enact their legislation over Johnson's vetoes.Eventually Ulysses Grant used Federal power to try to break up the Ku Klux Klan organization.Though this is similar to the other two options the other ones were not as strict.



The Civil Rights Act Of 1866 is a Act suggested by United States legislation that gave further rights to the freed slaves after the end of the American Civil War.The act declared that all persons born in the United States were now citizens, without regard to race, color, or previous condition. As citizens they could make and enforce contracts, sue and be sued, give evidence in court, and inherit, purchase, lease, sell, hold, and convey real and personal property. President Andrew Johnson vetoed the bill, saying that blacks were not qualified for United States citizenship.The Republicans in congress overrode the presidential veto on April 9, 1866. The act declared that all people born in the United States were citizens of the United States. Such citizens were of every race and color and without regard to any previous condition of slavery or involuntary servitude. As citizens they could make and enforce contracts, sue and be sued, give evidence in court, and inherit, purchase, lease, sell, hold, and convey real estate and personal property. Persons who denied these rights to former slaves were guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction faced a fine of $1,000 and or imprisonment not exceeding one year.


The Freedmen's Bureau Bill was the government oriented authorization for the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen and Abandoned Lands . Its aim was to provide assistance to the emancipated blacks of the South after the American Civil War. Originally created for one year, the bureau was continued in 1866 by Congress overriding the veto of President Andrew Johnson and extended. The bureau took responsibility for furnishing food and medical supplies to blacks, most of whom were destitute, and to needy whites as well. It was also concerned with the regulation of wages and working conditions of blacks, the establishment and maintenance of schools for illiterate former slaves, and the control and distribution of lands abandoned by or confiscated from Southern proprietors. In addition, the bureau handled legal trials involving blacks. The lands controlled by the bureau, totaling about 800,000 acres, were originally intended to be distributed to former slaves and to persons of proved loyalty to the Union, in lots not exceeding 40 acres. Most of the activities of the bureau were ended in 1869, except for the educational program, which continued in effect until 1872 and effected the most significant achievements of the agency.



The Radical Republicans were effective in their campaign. Compared to the other plans theirs were stricter towards the southerner. Furthermore they also helped freed slave build a home for themselves. Though they might have not favored black, their goals ended the war and slavery. In addition, to that they united the "Whole" united states of America .

Were the grassrootts movements in the Age of Reform success full in acheive theier goal.

In the nineteenth century a wave of Change was sweeping over America . The wave was called the Age of Reform. The Age of Reform was a social movement that would gradually change aspects of society.There were individual parts of the the movement . One was women's rights which began at the Seneca Falls Convention. Another was the abolition of slavery which would spark the civil war. Education reform also was a part of it.Horace Mann, goals were a more relevant curriculum and more accessible education.Lastly was Prison reform, which consisted of humiliation ,physical abuse.The Age of Reform was success full in achieve all their goals . This is due to the fact that everyone is prospering from the benefits today. these changes lie within women's rights, abolition, public education and prison reform.

In the ninteenth century women didnt have meany rights. They couldnt vote and it was unlady like to hold a job.Thier place was at home which created the ideaology " the cult of domesticity".Women were put in the center of the domestic sphere, and were expected to be a calm and nurturing mother, a loving and faithful wife, to be passive and delicate creature. These women were also expected to be pious and religious, teaching those around them by their Christian beliefs. Most importantly, these women were expected to unfailingly inspire and support their husbands. Soon many women started to follow the movements.During the mid-1800s Dorothea Dix was a leader in the movements for prison reform and for providing mental-hospital care for the needy.Women in the United States during the 19th century organized and participated in a great variety of reform movements to improve education, to initiate prison reform, to ban alcoholic drinks, and, during the pre-Civil War period, to free the slaves. Soon women were welcomed into the working world. Many were made factory girls sewing hats and weaving cloths. This helped and also lead to the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution when omen were allowed to vote, it was ratified in 1920.



The second movement was the Abolition movement.Abolitionism is a political movement that seeks to end the practice of slavery and the worldwide slave trade. It began during the period of the 2nd Enlightenment and grew in Europe and United States during the 19th century.All of the states north of Maryland began gradually to abolish slavery between 1781 and 1804.Throughout the first half of the 19th century, a movement to end slavery grew in strength throughout the United States. This struggle took place amid strong support for slavery among white Southerners, who profited greatly from the system of enslaved labor. These slave owners began to refer to slavery as the "peculiar institution" in a defensive attempt to differentiate it from other examples of forced labor.there were many abolitionist. such as Fredrick duglous who was african american and Harriet Elizabeth Beecher Stowewho wrote Uncle Toms Cabin.After 1830, a religious movement led by William Lloyd Garrison declared slavery to be a personal sin and demanded the owners repent immediately and start the process of emancipation. The movement was highly controversial and was a factor in causing the American Civil War.


The next movement was Education. Educaion was maily from first till eighth . After that children would start to work.Education reformers such as Horace Mann of Massachusetts began calling for public education systems for all. Upon becoming the secretary of education in Massachusetts in 1837, Mann helped to create a statewide system of "common schools," which referred to the belief that everyone was entitled to the same content in education. These early efforts focused primarily on elementary education.Another refoemer is Noah Websterwas an American textbook author, spelling reformer, political writer, word enthusiast, and editor.His Blue-backed Speller books taught five generations of children in the United States how to spell and read, and his name became synonymous with "dictionary", especially the modern Merriam-Webster dictionary that was first published in 1828 as An American Dictionary of the English Language.The most important recent reform in America's education system came under the No Child Left Behind Act 2002.


The last reform is Prison Reforem . During the nineteenth century prisons were worse then today.The officers would humilliate the inmates for laughs.Sometime they were physically abused.These reformer wanted to get better conditions for the inmates. Another thing was for better health services.In the early 1900s Samuel June Barrow was a leader in prison reform.He was the American representative to the International Prison Congress of 1895, 1900, and 1905, at which he was elected to serve as president of the 1910 congress.


The Age of reform set a course for each of these movements.It gave women the right to be equal. It started a civil war, but freed the slaves . It also helped to further educationfor all.With out the Age of reform the american soceity would not have evolved into what it is today.

To what extent did natinalisimplay a role in the formulattion and application of U.S. foreign policy?

After America had finally started to take off it was time to expand the borders of the United States. During this time Territorial expansion became a major theme in America. This is due to economic, political and cultural reasons.This also brought Ideologies that supported territorial expansion, which also Produced the War Hawks. One of the expansions having to do with British Canada worsened relations between the two which ended with the beginning of the war of 1812.After the war ended the Monroe Doctrine was created to keep the European powers from claiming any territory in the western hemisphere.Expansions also force native Americans out of there homes and threaten the Mexicans which started the Mexican War. Nationalism played a role in the formulation and application of U.S. Foreign Policy to the extent it formed ideologies and created hostilities between other countries.This is due Territorial expansion , Manifest destiny and War Hawks , and the wars between the British and Mexicans

Territorial acquisitions, began with American independence. After the Revolutionary war the U.S. Border to Mississippi. Over the course of the next 134 years, the United States gradually added territory, through purchase, treaties, and as the result of wars, until in 1917 it reached the size it is today. In 1803 Jefferson Purchased Louisiana from France. The Adams-Onís Treaty of 1819 with Spain resulted in Spain's cession of East Florida.In 1842 the Webster-Ashburton treaty when the U.S. and Britain settled the Canada boundary. President John Tyler signed a treaty of annexation with Texas in April 1844. After James Polk, a strong supporter of territorial expansion, won the presidency, but before he took office, Congress approved the annexation of Texas on February 28, 1845. On December 29, 1845, Texas became the 28th state. Mexican Cession lands were a product of the Mexican-American War and the subsequent Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, signed February 2, 1848. In this treaty, Mexico gave the U.S. parts of what is Texas, Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico and Wyoming, and the whole of California, Nevada and Utah and recognized the Rio Grande as Texas' Southern border.


Manifest Destiny was a phrase that expressed the idea that the United States was destined to expand from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean" Sea from shining sea". It has also been used to justify other territorial acquisitions. Though this was great for the Americans manifest destiny had serious consequences for Native American. It was bad because territorial expansion usually meant the inhabiting of Native American land. Further more it also was opening for Americans to convert the "Savages" in to Christians.

War Hawk is a term originally used to describe a member of the government House of Representatives of the Twelfth Congress of the United States who promoted waging war against Great Britain in the War of 1812. The War Hawks in the Twelfth Congress were mostly Democratic-Republicans who were primarily from southern and western states.War Hawks from the western states also believed that the British were instigating American Indians on the frontier to attack American settlements.War Hawks called for an invasion of British Canada to punish Britain and end this threat. Their opponents were the new England federalist who were Anglophiles. they believed a war would hurt commercial interest.


The War of 1812 was fought between the United States of America and Britain.America declared war on Britain for a number of reasons , one was outrage at the impressment of thousands of American sailors. Another reason is because the Americans though that the British was the cause of Indian uprisings.The British had many more ships then the united stated but had no effect because the had most of their ships fighting the french.Though the Americans could not capture Canada they still had success in the great lakes. During the War of 1812, Francis Scott Key, accompanied by the American Prisoner Exchange Agent Colonel John Stuart Skinner, dined aboard the British ship HMS Tonnant, as the guests of three British officers As a result of this, Key was unable to do anything but watch the bombarding of the American forces at Fort McHenry during the Battle of Baltimore. Key was inspired to write a poem describing his experience. Entitled "The Defense of Fort McHenry", it has become better known as "The Star Spangled Banner".On December 24, 1814, diplomats from the two countries, meeting in Ghent, signed the Treaty of Ghent. Unfortunately because of the long endeavor to notify both armies about the treaty.Unaware of the peace, Jackson's forces moved to New Orleans, Louisiana, in late 1814 to defend against a large-scale British invasion. Jackson decisively defeated the British at the Battle of New Orleans on January 8.


The Monroe Doctrine is a U.S. doctrine which, on December 2, 1823, proclaimed that European powers would no longer colonize or interfere with the affairs of the newly independent nations of the Americas. The Monroe Doctrine states three major ideas, with one more added by President Theodore Roosevelt. First, it conveys that European countries cannot colonize in any of the Americas North, Central, or South as well as islands of the Caribbean which were considered to be a part of the Americas. Second, it enforces Washington's rule of foreign policy, in which the U.S. will only be involved in European affairs if America's rights are disturbed. Third, the U.S. will consider any attempt at colonization a threat to its national security. At first historians believed it was a defensive strategy . They also say that it was a expression of Manifest Destiny.


The Mexican-American War was an armed military conflict between the United States and Mexico from 1846 to 1848 in the wake of the 1845 U.S. annexation of Texas. In 1845, President Polk sent diplomat John Slidell to Mexico City in an attempt to purchase Mexico's Alta California and Santa Fé de Nuevo México territories. unfourtunetly it didnt go polks way. His message to Congress on May 11, 1846 stated that Mexico had "invaded our territory and shed American blood upon the American soil." A joint session of Congress approved the declaration of war, with southern Democrats in strong support because they saw the annexation of Mexico as an opportunity to increase the number of slave states. The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, signed on February 2, 1848 by American diplomat Nicholas Trist, ended the war and gave the U.S. undisputed control of Texas, established the U.S.-Mexican border of the Rio Grande River, and ceded to the United States the present-day states of California, Nevada, Utah, and parts of Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, and Wyoming. In return, Mexico received US $15,000,000, . The U.S. also agreed to assume $3.25 million in debts that the Mexican government owed to U.S. citizens.


Ultimately Nationalism ran the United States till the Civil War. It created Manifest Destiny and helped territorial expansion succeed. More over it helped make the united states what it is today. Lastly it even gave our country its own national anthem. Which recognizes the state of the new country during this the early nineteenth century. Nationalism is still a way of life for our country and it is still " from sea to shining sea".

Revised:Jeffersonian Revolution

Thomas Jefferson was born April 13, 1743 in Shadwell , Virgina. Jefferson grew up to practiced law and served in the Virginia House of Burgesses. Jefferson Also served as governor of Virginia from 1779–1781. He also was a primary author of the Declaration of Independence.Further more Jefferson served as minister to France from 1785 to 1789. In addition he also was the first Secretary of State under the first president, George Washington.Finally in 1800 Jefferson became president of the United States. Jefferson's presidency was a second revolution for the United States. This is due to the 1800 Revolution ,Jeffersonian movement, and both of his terms as president.

United States presidential election of 1800, sometimes referred to as the “Revolution of 1800”, was the year when Thomas Jefferson( A Republican) defeated John Adams( A Federalist).The election resulted in a tie between Jefferson and Aaron Burr. Federalist ,Alexander Hamilton, who favored Jefferson more than Burr, voted for Jefferson instead of Burr, which allowed Jefferson to take hold of the presidency. The election brought in the time of the Democratic-Republican Party rule and the eventual decline of the Federalist Party. Further more, the republican party took control of the presidency and both houses of Congress, beginning a quarter century of control of those institutions. All in all the revolution was a peaceful transition in to the republican political party.

After the American Revolution and the ratification of the AOC the Americans seemed to split into two political parties, the Federalist and Democratic-Republicans.The leader of the Republicans Was Jefferson .Jefferson being the leader historians decided to name the movement of Republican beliefs after him, the Jeffersonian Movement.The types of people that were amongst this movement were mostly Farmers. these people believed in a strict interpretation of the constitution and favored a limited central government. They also believed in a agrarian society. Further more this movement helped to further democratize the United States.

During his first term Jefferson had one major achievement, The Louisiana Purchase.This was a Foreign and Domestic affair In 1803 French Emperor, Napoleon, needed money to fight Britain so he decided to sell Louisiana. Though it wasn't in his belief Jefferson purchased Louisiana for agricultural purposes. After the purchase he sent Meriwether Lewis and William Clark on a expedition to the new land.He told them to find out as much as possible about topographical , features, and resources. This was a great achievement for him because it increased the size of the country. It would also help make more land for his fellow farmers.

During 1814 in North Africa, Barbary Pirates started to seize American ships. This was a problem for Jefferson because the United States had no navy.To Stop this the United states decided to pay tribute to protect the ships. Finally the united states stopped paying when they defeated the pirates in 1815.This was foreign because it had to do with Africa. This is also a Domestic affair because they had to pay for the tributes.

French and British conflict in 1805 started to effect the United States.The British controlled the sea, whiled the french controlled the earth.In 1805 The British came out with the Essex In 1805 the British came out with Essex decision which stated that trade was closed and meant that the Americans couldn't trade in the french west indies. Again in 1807 The British blockaded the french ports with the Orders of council so the french couldn't get supplies. In that some year the French announced the Milan Decree which said they would capture any ships that obeyed the french. This feud often had American ships seized, Which angered Jefferson. To Deal with the French and British Jefferson came out with acts. The first one was the Nonintercourse act . This act Halted importation of British goods. The next act was the Embargo act mentioned before. It ended all foreign trade together which hurt the Americans more the the french and British.This is a great example of domestic affairs because it made the American economy decline. Later in 1809 the Americans again came out with the Nonintercourse act which prohibited trade if French and British. The last act was the Macon's bill no. 2. It would trade with both countries if they revoked their Decree's and or Order's. Overall this was a foreign affair because France and Britain were in Europe. This also is a example of what President Washington warned against,in his farewell speech.


Jefferson's presidency was in the end a transitional political revolution. Jefferson's beliefs and achievements further modernized the United states. Though he messed up with the Embargo act he redeemed hes self with the Macons bill. Jefferson was not the first president but he was the first to help our country to get ahead.

To what extent were the articles of confederation and inadequate form of goverment?

The Articles of Confederation were an inadequate form of government to the extent that the very nature of the AOC was weak.This is due to domestic affair problems,foreign affair problems, and features of the government under the AOC.



After the revolutionary war the new country was immediately faced with economical problems.The main reason for this is because since the Federal government could not tax the states they had no money.One example of this is great Britain's practice of over crowding the American markets with goods which resulted in an unstable balance of trade and had a bad effect on the nations economy.Another thing was that roads and all other transportation routes had been put aside because the federal government had no money to construct them.This made the structure of transportation insufficient for trade.Further more the new country didn't have a uniform currency which made it also hard for trade. Another thing is that the states had the power to taxes their citizens.This was bad because the sates could tax what ever they wanted, which might lead to one being richer then the other.The most recognized rebellion of this time is Shays rebellion.Shay and fellow farmers thought to shut down courts to prevent their farms from being foreclosed.In the end Shay and his fellow farmers were pardoned and the sate law was modified.



Problems for the new form of government were not just about domestic issues. There was also a problem with foreign affairs. The relationship between the Americans and British quickly started to decline. The United States started to fail to obey the treaty of Paris. They did this by not compensating the loyalists and paying foreign debts. An addition to that, the Spaniards decided to take advantage over the United States by quarreling over the undefined northern boundary of Florida, which also resulted in disputes over Mississippi navigation rights. On account of these events the nations foremost political leaders wanted to revise the AOC.



The Articles of Confederation was the first governing document for the original thirteen colonies. It was adopted as the basic law of the country in 1781.This form of government was weak because of the desire of democracy. One fault in the government was that it had no uniform national currency. This was a major reason why trade was inefficient and the united states economy was declining. Another point is that nine out of the thirteen states had to approve a law before it was passed. This can be considered a weakness because bigger states would have a major affect in decisions. And lastly congress had no authority to impose taxes. This is bad because federal government had no way to raise money for infrastructures.





Overall the aritcles of confederation were extremely ineffective and feeble. Because of its weaknesses it resulted in the economy's decline, disputes against other countries, and inadequate features of the AOC. On the other hand because of the United States being a new country, the AOC was a good starting round. It also paved the way to what we call today the Constitution of America.