The Articles of Confederation proved to be too weak to create a defense or pay for the debt the states held from the war.
The Articles of Confederation proved to be too weak and confusing to create a strong confederation of states. The concept was confusing to other countries making trade treaties difficult to create. The Congress was unable to levy taxes and therefore the debt the country owed to France and soldiers could not be paid. The system also could not defend the entirety of the states. When Shay's Rebellion occurred, the Congress had no way to end the rebellion and counted on the individual states to provide militia services. Shay's Rebellion was the last straw for founding leaders and cause the call for a convention to create a new government document.
