Motives of the Founding Fathers

The Founding Fathers replaced the Articles of Confederation with the Constitution in
1787 to create a stronger central government and to weaken the autonomous power of the states.
This move was largely influenced by their fears of economic downfall and social disorder, which
were growing issues that, if left untreated, could have had serious ramifications on the young
nation.
The post-Revolutionary era of the 1780s was a time of high level of disorder, anxiety,
discontent, and rebellion. The American Revolution placed the new union into a post war
depression of debt, inflation, financial crisis, and suffering commerce. The severe economic
downturn gave way to social disorder, where debt-ridden farmers, veterans, families, and the
poor lived in constant anxiety and fear as they struggled to maintain their livelihood. This stirred
growing feelings of anger and resentment toward the authorities for the lack of sympathy and
flexibility for debt relief. The economic difficulties made it impossible to pay off the war debt
and compensate investors and veterans.
As a new country, there was nothing to ensure the stability of the economy, which
sparked fears of an economic downfall. The American Revolution war left states in heavy debt
and losses; farmers in particular suffered greatly as farms were victims of petty theft during this
tough economic period of time. States handled these outstanding debts poorly by printing more
money, which caused inflation. This, coupled with the high debts accumulated from the war, led
to rapid inflation that had a toll on the economy. This left people, especially farmers, in debt and
imposed of them higher taxation rates. Displeased with the financial situation, a group of farmers
and soldiers in western Massachusetts led by American Revolution veteran Daniel Shays
protested their unjust conditions, which was later known as Shays' Rebellion. Their anger was

also fueled by higher ownership property requirements being used to determine voting rights and
eligibility. Also, due to the high level of autonomy and independence granted to the states, each
state printed their own currency, which made trading with other countries more difficult and
disorganized. This led to weak foreign relations, thus eroding the source of commercial profit.
This showed that states were not capable of governing themselves properly.
To tackle the economic issues that loomed over the thirteen-state country, the Founding
Fathers felt a need to create a federal institution that would regulate and oversee state
governments. With a powerful central authority, trading and building relations with other
countries would be made a lot easier with a single national currency. This was a lesson learned
from the dip the American economy suffered in 1780 when Britain and its colonies cut off all
trades with the United States and offered products at a cheaper price than the United States did.
This would also meet the manufacturing and shipping interests of the Founding Fathers, who
were mostly wealthy, successful, and well-educated. Nurturing stability is a pivotal role of a
government as it ensures the countrys potential to grow and prosper. An economy is the
backbone of society because it determines the worth of every goods and the nation itself. The
Founding Fathers fear of an economic downturn was completely justified because they had
experienced the economic crisis of the 1780s themselves and fully understood how it could be a
threat to the country and its people. Hence, their qualms regarding the countrys economic state
were eased by replacing the Constitution with the Articles of Confederation.
Another fear that motivated the Founding Fathers was the fear of social disorder. The
dismal state of the economy had triggered dissent among the people, especially the farmers,
which led to constant revolt and uprisings. In particular, Shays Rebellion and the Newburgh
Conspiracy stand out because of the impact it had made on the Founding Fathers. The Newburgh

Conspiracy was an uprising that occurred in 1783 when the Army elite were not given the
pensions they were promised. This posed a threat to the Republic and George Washington had to
put a stop to it before it escalated into a full-blown revolution. Three years later, in 1786, Shays
Rebellion occurred where thousands of farmers attempted to prevent their land from being taken
by their creditors. They attacked the federal Springfield Armory, which housed a large amount of
military supplies. Although the farmers were turned back, there was a violent clash between them
and the state militia. The message of the incident reverberated throughout the nation. Ultimately,
Shays Rebellion caused dismay and panic throughout the states. Overall, the inability to tax
under the Articles of Confederation made it impossible to pay off the war debt and compensate
investors and veterans. The Newburgh Conspiracy and Shays' Rebellion not only resulted in
several deaths but also illustrated the inability of the government under the Articles of
Confederation to control the unions problems. As the government held limited authority, it could
not solve many of the nations problems. This prompted the Constitutional Convention to revise
the Articles of Confederation in Philadelphia on May 1787.
Due to the constant uprisings and disputes that were directly linked to the lack of a
federal government, it was decided by the Convention that the Articles of Confederation were
not sufficient. It was clear that the country was in dire need of a strong central government that
could oversee the states and create a more united nation. The Founding Fathers feared that a
weak central government would bring about revolts and revolutions more frequently and at
higher intensities, which would not provide a good foundation for a stable nation. Without a
central government that had enough power and authority to mediate conflicts between states, the
Founding Fathers were afraid that the lack of social order could eventually cause the country to
be divided. To resolve this, they decided to do away with the Articles of Confederation altogether

and create a Constitution that would grant the central government more power than the thirteen
existing states. Social stability is a crucial component for a country to thrive and succeed. In
addition, without a stable unified economy to foster the funds, the federal government would
have no means to exert its authority over social disorder. Thus, the motives and actions the
founding fathers took on the path to a greater nation were not only justified, but necessary to
prevent anarchy throughout the thirteen colonies.
In conclusion, the Founding Fathers concerns regarding the state of the economy and
social order in the early days of the Republic were justified. Their goal was to ensure that the
new nation they had built prospered economically and socially as several events such as the
economic crisis of the 1780s and Shays Rebellion had posed a threat to the future of a young
United States of America. To achieve this, the Articles of Confederation had to be revised to
allow for a central power to wield power over all thirteen states and as a result, the Constitution
was born and the country was finally able to soar to greater heights.