Essay Sample on The Articles of Confederation

The Articles of Confederation were not successful for many reasons. Mostly because of the strict order, which allowed for almost no governmental power. Under the Articles, the government had no right to tax the states and its citizens, it did not allow for enough power to help fight and defend themselves and did not allow for the enforcement of laws. 

Taxing was not a power given to the central government. Although the Articles allowed the government to request money from the states, they did not have to oblige to their requests. If the states refused, the government could not collect the money, so the government had no money. The states rarely approved giving money voluntarily, they thought if the government had money they would have power, and if they had power the country would turn into a monarchy. But the problem was the government could not function successfully without substantial finances, or without a steady income of taxes from the states. Under the Articles, the government could not carry out simple tasks because they lacked the proper funding. For example; if Americans wanted a military to defend them from a country or even themselves, they weren’t able to have one; there was no money for it. If they wanted public state schools so children can get the rightful education they deserve, the government, again, did not have funding for it. Having no money for the government is a problem, it leaves everyone weak in the end. 

Many people started to see the government fail and heavily tax just like the British government had done before. The citizens wanted to prove to people that they needed a new form of government, so Daniel Shays decided to organize a group of Revolutionary War soldiers and farmers to come together to protest it. They protested the unfair taxes being placed on them from the Massachusetts government. In hopes that maybe one day they could have a better, more functional government. During their time one needed to have land in order to vote. Farmers were in the lower class, so voting was the only way they could participate in government. Since the taxes were so high some people could not afford them, and their land was lost. Losing their right to vote, was losing their already small voice in society. The protesting was significant in showing the Anti-Federalists the government was weak. They were not able to stop a few farmers, let alone a country. The chaos that was Shays’ Rebellion symbolized what was going on throughout the entire country at the time. People now knew, more than ever, that they needed to revise the Articles because of the weakness they saw on the government’s end. 

Under the Articles the country’s leaders were not able to make or pass laws because there was no executive branch. The new government made by the fearful people was composed of a Congress where each state had an equal number of delegates selected to participate, regardless of size. Although they had the power to declare war, appoint military officers, sign treaties, make alliances and more, the government could not make any laws. The people thought that if the government had the power to pass laws they would take advantage of them and force them to do things they did not want to do, just like the king had made them do before. They did not want a monarchy all over again, so the Articles did not allow for a president, and the country was running without a president. If a country does not have someone calling the shots in government when they are in crisis, they cannot protect the people from war from other countries or even war from within the country. The people needed protection, and with the current government, they are not able to provide it for them. The government could not stop the rebelling within the states without the power of law making, leaving the government once again weak. 

Throughout the time when the Articles were in place it is seen that the government could not function under the limited conditions. A successful government cannot function without taxing, power over the people, and a president.