AQA · A-Level · History
Course version: 7042 · Version from Sept 2017
Obstacles blocking the path to a republic: economic problems, social…
Full specification wording
2G The Birth of the USA, 1760–1801 – Founding the Republic, 1776–1789 (A-level only): Obstacles blocking the path to a republic: economic problems, social tensions and inter-state disputes, the issue of slavery
The path to a stable American republic was obstructed by severe post-war challenges.
Checked against the AQA 7042 specification (opens in a new tab) on .
- Point 2 of 4
- 3 key terms
Study notes
From the checked teaching notes for this specification point.
The idea
The path to a stable American republic was obstructed by severe post-war challenges. Economic problems were rampant, characterised by massive war debts, hyperinflation of paper currency, and a lack of national taxation power. These economic woes fuelled social tensions, most notably culminating in Shays' Rebellion in 1786, where indebted farmers rose against state tax collections. Inter-state disputes further destabilised the republic, with states imposing retaliatory tariffs on one another and arguing over borders. Finally, the issue of slavery presented a profound moral and political obstacle, creating deep sectional divides between Northern states, which were beginning to abolish the practice, and Southern states reliant on enslaved labour.
What earns the marks
- Assess the impact of economic problems, such as the inability of the Confederation Congress to levy taxes to pay off war debts.
- Analyse how economic hardship led to social tensions, using Shays' Rebellion as a key example of class conflict and agrarian discontent.
- Evaluate the role of inter-state disputes, including conflicting territorial claims and destructive trade tariffs between states.
- Examine the issue of slavery as a divisive obstacle, highlighting the emerging sectionalism between the North and the South during the republic's formation.
Common mistakes and how to put them right
Treating the post-war period as a time of unified prosperity.
Put it right: In reality, it was plagued by severe economic depression and hyperinflation.
Ignoring the issue of slavery in the 1780s.
Put it right: While the Civil War was decades away, slavery was already a major obstacle to national unity and republican ideals.
Viewing inter-state disputes solely as border issues.
Put it right: They also involved damaging economic warfare through state-imposed tariffs.
Exam tips
- Link economic problems directly to social tensions; for example, explain how state taxation to pay war debts triggered Shays' Rebellion.
- Use the issue of slavery to demonstrate the compromises required to form the republic, contrasting the Declaration's ideals with the reality of enslaved labour.
- Argue how these combined obstacles highlighted the fatal weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation, necessitating a new Constitution.
Try the lesson
The start of the 2G The Birth of the USA, 1760–1801 – Founding the Republic, 1776–1789 (A-level only): Obstacles blocking the path to a republic: economic problems, social tensions and inter-state disputes, the issue of slavery lesson, made from checked teaching notes for this specification point.
Have a go first
Which economic problem posed a significant obstacle to the stability of the new American republic in the 1780s?
Listen
The path to a stable American republic was obstructed by severe post-war challenges. Economic problems were rampant, characterised by massive war debts, hyperinflation of paper currency, and a lack of national taxation power. These economic woes fuelled social tensions, most notably culminating in Shays' Rebellion in 1786, where indebted farmers rose against state tax collections. Inter-state disputes further destabilised the republic, with states imposing retaliatory tariffs on one another and arguing over borders. Finally, the issue of slavery presented a profound moral and political obstacle, creating deep sectional divides between Northern states, which were beginning to abolish the practice, and Southern states reliant on enslaved labour. A strong answer earns marks for these points. Assess the impact of economic problems, such as the inability of the Confederation Congress to levy taxes to pay off war debts. Analyse how economic hardship led to social tensions, using Shays' Rebellion as a key example of class conflict and agrarian discontent. Evaluate the role of inter-state disputes, including conflicting territorial claims and destructive trade tariffs between states. Examine the issue of slavery as a divisive obstacle, highlighting the emerging sectionalism between the North and the South during the republic's formation. Exam tip: Link economic problems directly to social tensions; for example, explain how state taxation to pay war debts triggered Shays' Rebellion.
See it
Key words
Say what each word means before you turn the card.
Economic instability and debt
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Social class conflict
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Sectionalism and slavery
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See every definition
- Economic instability and debt
- Rampant problems characterised by massive war debts, hyperinflation of paper currency and a lack of national taxation power.
- Social class conflict
- Tensions fuelled by economic woes, most notably culminating in Shays' Rebellion, where indebted farmers rose against state tax collections.
- Sectionalism and slavery
- A profound moral and political obstacle creating deep sectional divides between Northern states beginning to abolish the practice and Southern states reliant on enslaved labour.
Label the diagram
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1Box 1
2Box 2
3Box 3
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