XXII. Problems with the Peace
A. A standing army
1. congress promised army anything to keep men fighting
2. Congress owed most soldiers back pay and pensions
3. Washington controls several attempts at rebellion
4. June 1783 army gathers at Independence hall to complain
5. Congress threatened and moves to New Jersey
6. A military coupe could have easily toppled the government
7. Congress decommissioned army, 3 months pay and furlough
B. Congress cash poor but land rich
1. Congress claimed west
a. Proclamation of 1763
2. Native Americans unable to defend
a. Native Americans allied to England?
b. conquered people, land forfeit
3. Congress negotiated treaties with the people of the Ohio Valley
4. Congress opened up land and sold in 3 ordinances
a. land ordinance of 1785,
b. land ordinance of 1786
c. Northwest Ordinance of 1788
5. Settlers invaded Indian land
a. Native Americans wage war
b. Congress was unable to control
C. Weak in foreign diplomacy
1. June 1784 Spain cuts off port of New Orleans
a. John Jay negotiated with Don Diego De Gardoqui of Spain
b. Americans give up Miss. R. for trade with Spanish ports
c. north supports treaty south opposed and refused to ratify
d. Congress is helpless under Articles and gets neither
2. France and England close ports to American goods
3. Congress could not close American ports
4. Each state made its own trade agreements
D. Shays Rebellion
1. Cycle of debt
a. English merchants loaned money to American importers
b. importers extend credit to merchants & on to customers
c. 1785 English goods glutted the market and prices drop
d. English bankers want returns to pay stockholders
e. English merchants call in loans start chain of collectors
2. Massachusetts farmers sought relief from state government
a. ask for "stay laws" stop foreclosures
b. ask for tax relief
c. ask for more paper money
3. Mass. legislature denied-fiscally irresponsible
a. American importers lobbied
b. worried about more paper money
c. financial scraped they raised taxes
4. Mob action
a. mobs stopped courts at Northampton and Worcester
b. Daniel Shays gathered support near Springfield
c. Shays a revolutionary captain and failed farmer
d. Shay waited on back pay that never came
e. Governor calls militia and Congress another 1,300 troops
f. Jan. 26, 1787 Shays leads attack on federal arsenal
g. Four of Shays men killed and retreat
h. Shays fled to Vermont rebellion falls apart
i. Massachusetts legislature pardons everyone
5. Rebellions in 6 other states