What Was Life Like in the United States After the Revolution?

 by Mia Parry

After the treaty of Paris, where American independence was formally recognised by its former British ruler, the USA were faced with many challenges. The new ‘Empire of Liberty’ was left without a unifying national government leaving individual states responsible for internal affairs such as tax collection and international trade. 

This was particularly problematic considering the $41 million of debt in 1783 accumulating $2.4 million interest per year, leaving congress with an almost worthless currency and therefore unable to pay the continental army. Despite the best efforts of Robert Morris, superintendent of finance in 1781, only $2.5 million of requisitions out of the $15 million required were levied from states leaving America’s main source of income from the sale of Northern and Western land totalling a measly $760,000 by 1788. 

This brought settlers into direct contact with Catholic Spanish powers who opposed westward expansion, recruiting the Native Americans to buffer it. Inflation of continental paper money divided creditors and debtors sparking public outcry such as Shays Rebellion where Daniel Shays led a federal arsenal to Springfield in January 1787 in protest against land lost by farmers unable to pay their taxes in the required scarce species. 

In terms of economic problems, the new nation faced many challenges. Chaotic trade regulations left commercial matters down to state governments. Geographical and cultural differences however, left New England and the middle states seeking protective tariffs against British competition to protect their farming economy whereas Southern states sought free trade to protect their slave economy. Despite this, America was booming with new markets and international trade flourished when British restrictions were evaded and interstate trade barriers were dismantled in the 1780s.

Sources: britannica.com