New Nation Faces Challenges

5-2

The United States had difficulties with other nations

NOTES• 1. Britain refused to turn over its forts in

U.S. territory to American control.

• 2. Britain closed off trade with the British West Indies.

• 3. Britain placed high tariffs (taxes) on American merchants

NOTESSpain closed the lower Mississippi to U.S.

shipping.

- Made it difficult for farmers to get their goods to market

No Notes

Internal economic problems plagued the new nation

NOTES. • The Confederation Congress had no power to

control trade between the states.

• Inflation (vocab word) was high – This meant thing were expensive.

• Loss of trade with Britain combined with inflation caused an economic depression. – Depression (vocab word) : a time when the

economy or making money was low

No notes

Shays’ Rebellion pointed out weaknesses in the Articles of Confederation

NOTES. • Daniel Shays led Massachusetts farmers in a revolt

over high taxes and heavy debt.

• Shays’ Rebellion was put down by state troops (militia) in January 1787.

• Massachusetts wanted help from the national government, but there was no an army !

No Notes

Many Americans called for changes in the national government

NOTES. • Shays’ Rebellion showed the weakness of the

Confederation government.

– People saw that their freedoms were not protected

– People called for a stronger central government

• The Virginia legislature called for a national conference to change the Articles of Confederation.

• The Constitutional Convention was called in May 1787 in Philadelphia to revise the Articles of Confederation.

NOTES