a bayou (in the U.S.) is a body of water typically found in a flat , low-lying area, and can either be an extremely slow-moving stream/river (often with a poorly defined shoreline) or a marshy lake/wetland.
During the period that the Articles of Confederation were ratified, America was still at war with Great Britain. Because of that the Colonies were still trying to define themselves as a united country but struggling on how to do so.
