US History

U.S. History Study Guide

©2018 of 194 The Jay-Gardoqui Negotiations Economic depression followed the end of the war. In 1784, John Jay thought of a solution and began negotiating with Spanish minister Diego de Gardoqui. Jay attempted to negotiate for access for the United States to trade along the Mississippi River. Since the Spanish were threatened by the U.S. moving westward, Gardoqui recommended instead that Spain would establish trade with eastern U.S. ports, assist in removing Great Britain from the Great Lakes and assist in combating the Barbary Pirates. This would greatly improve the situation in the New England and Middle colonies, but sacrifice commerce greatly for the West and South. When Jay went to Congress in 1786, the West and the South were outraged. Negotiations were broken off. Some angered that Jay could show little concern for the other sections of the country, talked of dissolving the Union; and this helped spur to action those who desired not the dissolution but the strengthening of the Union. Shays' Rebellion In 1786 economic hard times, with high taxes that were supposed to pay off the states’ war debt, drove western Massachusetts farmers to rebellion. Led by war veteran Daniel Shays, in what became known as Shays' Rebellion, people took up arms and shut down courts to prevent judges from seizing property or condemning people to debtors’ prison for failing to pay their taxes. The rebellion created panic in the rest of Massachusetts and the young nation. The citizens of Boston, raised money and paid the army militia to suppress the rebels. The success of the militia and tax relief from Congress caused the rebellion to dissolve quickly. Many came to feel that a stronger government was needed to control such violent public outbursts as those of Shays' Rebellion. This, along with the prior events drove delegates to fix and eventually reinvent the Articles of Confederation in what would become the U.S. Constitution. 7.5 Toward a New Constitution (1787-1789) As the Articles of Confederation’s inefficiencies became more apparent, Congress could not convince the states to comply with the terms of the Treaty of Paris of 1783 regarding debts and loyalists’ property. The British used this as an excuse for not evacuating their posts hoping the new government would fall apart and they could reclaim the colonies, or at least parts of it. Under the Articles of Confederation the government had no power or authority to force the states to submit so they had to stand by helplessly. Some called for disunion, others for monarchy. Still, others felt that republican government could still work if given a better constitution, and they made it their goal to achieve this. 7.6 The Annapolis Convention In 1785 a meeting of representatives of Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania and Delaware was held at George Washington’s residence, Mt. Vernon, for the purpose of discussing current problems. At their Achieve Page 82

Made with FlippingBook - professional solution for displaying marketing and sales documents online