As the 1780s progressed, the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation became increasingly difficult to ignore.

The national government struggled to perform even some of the most basic responsibilities expected of an independent nation.

Many of the problems stemmed from a central issue:

Congress possessed responsibility without sufficient power.

Under the Articles, Congress could request money from the states but could not directly tax citizens. The government depended almost entirely upon voluntary contributions from state legislatures.

Those contributions often failed to arrive.

Many states faced financial problems of their own after the war and resisted sending money to the national government. Others simply ignored congressional requests altogether.

The result was chronic financial crisis.

Congress struggled to pay war debts, support soldiers, maintain diplomatic operations, or fund ordinary government functions. Foreign creditors increasingly doubted whether the United States could repay loans secured during the Revolution.

The government also lacked power to regulate trade effectively.

Each state largely controlled its own commercial policies, and economic rivalry quickly developed between them. Some states imposed tariffs on goods coming from neighboring states, while others created conflicting trade rules and currency policies.

Instead of functioning as a unified national economy, the states often acted like competing countries.

Interstate disputes became increasingly common.

The Confederation government also lacked executive authority.

There was no president or national executive branch capable of enforcing laws or coordinating policy effectively. Congress could pass resolutions, but enforcement depended almost entirely upon the cooperation of the states.

Likewise, the Articles created no national judicial system.

Without federal courts, disputes between states often remained difficult to resolve consistently. Questions involving trade, borders, treaties, and national authority frequently produced confusion and conflict.

Military weakness created additional concern.

After the Revolution, the United States maintained only a very small standing military force. Congress lacked reliable funding to support larger armies or navies even when national security required them.

Foreign powers quickly recognized these weaknesses.

Britain continued occupying forts in western territory despite promises made in the Treaty of Paris. Spain restricted American access to the Mississippi River, threatening western trade and settlement.

The United States often appeared too weak to defend its own interests effectively.

Political instability also worried many leaders.

Without strong national authority, Americans feared the republic might eventually dissolve into separate regional confederacies or descend into economic disorder and internal unrest.

The inability to amend the Articles easily made reform especially frustrating.

Any major change required unanimous approval from all thirteen states. Even small disagreements could block important reforms entirely.

By the mid-1780s, many influential Americans had reached an uncomfortable conclusion.

The government created under the Articles of Confederation was too weak to secure the future of the nation.

The Revolution had overthrown centralized imperial authority.

Now Americans faced the opposite danger:

A government too weak to hold the republic together.