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What flaws in the Articles of Confederation did the requisition of 1785 and Shays's rebellion ultimately expose ?

User Kliew
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Final answer:

The Articles of Confederation's weaknesses exposed by the requisition of 1785 and Shays's Rebellion included the inability to tax, pay debts, raise an army, and effectively manage interstate disputes, leading to the Constitutional Convention and the creation of a more robust federal government.

Step-by-step explanation:

The flaws in the Articles of Confederation that were exposed by the requisition of 1785 and Shays's Rebellion centered around the lack of centralized power to effectively govern the fledgling country. The national government did not possess the independent authority to levy taxes, pay down the national debt, or raise an army to quell insurrections such as Shays's Rebellion. These shortcomings became starkly evident when Massachusetts had to rely on local militias and privately funded armies to subdue the uprising after the federal government proved incapable of providing assistance due to its inherent weaknesses.

The economic struggles, high taxes, and crushing debt that triggered Shays's Rebellion reflected broader national issues. The inability of Congress under the Articles to act decisively and the resultant civil unrest underscored the need for a stronger, more effective federal government. This imperative led to the Constitutional Convention where founding fathers recognized the necessity to create a federal system that balanced order and liberty - remedying the overemphasis on state sovereignty that had hampered the nation's development under the Articles of Confederation.

User Chris Gillum
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