Inventing a Nation: the U.s. Constitution
By 1787, only a few years after Congress adopted the Articles of Confederation, it became clear that the document was inadequate for governing the new nation. The United States of America was in crisis because the governmental system set up by the Articles did not work: Congress could not collect taxes to run the government or pay its debts. With no income, Congress could not raise a military force to protect U.S. territories west of the Appalachian Mountains (the Native Americans, the British, and the Spanish all wanted to use this land and continued to test America's strength in the region). Congress had no power to control trade competition between the thirteen states or to resolve issues over the value of thirteen different state currencies. Neither could it control trade with foreign nations. Few representatives even bothered to show up for congressional sessions. The United States had no friends, respect, or power in the world. The states' "league of friendship" established under the Articles had dissolved into jealousies and animosities. The Confederation was economically bankrupt and on the brink of falling apart. Most foreign leaders thought the new country would not survive for long.
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