During and following the end of the Revolutionary War, the nation faced economic crisis and poor relations with foreign powers such as Britain, Spain and France. The Articles of Confederation provided an extremely weak central government that was unable to effectively improve economic conditions and foreign relations.

Although the Articles had some powers, they lacked the critical powers to tax and to control commerce. These powers remained with the states. Congress depended on the states for its income and, between 1781 and 1789, only received one-sixth of the money it requested. When continentals lost their value, there was no national currency. Each state continued to print its own form of currency, which led to rapid inflation. The states soon fell into a heavy depression. With Congress lacking the power to regulate commerce, individual states taxed goods from their neighbors. As the economic situation worsened in Massachusetts, farmers who were unable...