The British government put an end to that trade.

No gold and silver came to the United States from the West Indies while gold and silver constantly went out of the country to pay debts due to British merchants.

Soon gold and silver grew scarce, and those who had any promptly hid it.

The real reason of all this trouble was the lack of a strong national government which could have compelled the British government to open its ports to American commerce.
But the people only saw that money was scarce and called upon the state legislatures to give them paper money.
[Sidenote: Paper money.] 170.

Paper Money .-- Most of the state legislatures did what they were asked to do.