The Constitution and the Early Republic

Ratified by all states only in 1781, the Articles of Confederation created a deliberately weak central government reflecting the colonies' fear of concentrated power: the Confederation Congress could not levy taxes directly, lacked a permanent executive or federal judiciary, and could be amended only by unanimous consent of every state. Although this weak government still managed to negotiate the Treaty of Paris and organize the Northwest Territory, its structural limitations produced growing fiscal, commercial, and security problems through the 1780s; Shays' Rebellion (1786-1787), an uprising of indebted Massachusetts farmers, dramatically exposed the Confederation's inability to maintain internal order and convinced many leaders that a stronger national government was necessary.