Final answer:
The Barbary States expected nations to sign treaties or pay tribute to avoid the threat of piracy, although the provided background information details the early U.S. struggle to establish foreign relations and trade policies, particularly through Jay's Treaty and Pinckney's Treaty.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Barbary States, a term for the North African states of Algiers, Tunis, Morocco, and Tripoli, operated under the notion that without a bilateral treaty, other nations' ships could rightfully be targeted by their corsairs. This threat made other countries prone to sign treaties or pay tribute to ensure the safe passage of their vessels.
The question's background information, however, does not directly address the practices of the Barbary States but rather speaks to the broader challenges the United States faced in securing its sovereignty and establishing foreign policies during the post-Revolutionary War period under the Articles of Confederation.
It mentions difficulties because of British and Spanish actions, including Britain excluding American ships from its ports and Spain closing the Mississippi River to American traffic.
The Confederation Congress's lack of power hindered its ability to secure commercial treaties and enforce compliance, which eventually led to the formation of individual agreements like Jay's Treaty and Pinckney's Treaty to address these diplomatic and commercial challenges.