From 1781 to 1789, the United States underwent an unstable era due to war debts, foreign threats, and internal dismay under the Articles of Confederation. The debts left by the Revolution initiated an ongoing series of crises and contributed significantly to the economic depression. European countries, especially Britain and Spain, looked to take advantage of the United States under its almost powerless government. The disunity and new independence of the states also prevented any progress from occurring under the Articles.

Under the Articles, the government did not hold the power to coin money or levy national taxes. The Revolution put the United States in severe debt and struggled to compensate for it. Americans, particularly those that served in the army, did not believe in their Congress. Congress was composed of one house of diverse Americans with generally different outputs and the weak government was not effective in compensating soldiers immediately...