The Articles of Confederation, adopted in 1781, represented the former colonist's first attempt to establish a new government after the Revolutionary War. These articles constituted a weak political document intended to temporarily maintain the unity of the states. The states had all the power, so any changes to the Article of Confederation would require each state to approve or amend it. In February 1787, Congress decided that a convention should be called to revise the Article of Confederation (Constitutional Rights Foundation, 2009). Congress felt that the Article of Confederation was not sufficient to effectively address the problems of young nations. Congress knew it was time for the country to move forward, and to do so, big changes would be coming, and that was the end of the Articles of Confederation and the beginning of the U.S. Constitution. After the Revolutionary War, Congress faced a huge debt. The United States owed the French money since they had contributed to the war. The government did not have a simple plan to deal with its financial debt. They had no right to tax; they could only ask for money and had no control over trade. Americans would buy bonds to help support the war and in return they would be repaid in full at an agreed upon interest rate. A government refusing to repay its war debts, including interest owed to bondholders, would not appear trustworthy to lenders. Citizens would be reluctant to invest their savings in U.S. government bonds or new businesses, knowing that the government might break its promise of repayment or allow others to do so. In other words, the US government has been severely limited in its capabilities because of the Institutional Rights Foundation. Retrieved February 10, 2014 from The Major Debates at the Constitutional Convention: http://crf-usa.org/bill-of-rights-in-action/bria-25-2-the-major-debates-at-the - constitutional-convention.htmlExploration of constitutional conflicts. (nd). The 1787 Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia. Retrieved February 10, 2014, from the Constitutional Convention of 1787: http://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/conlaw/convention1787.htmlNational Archives of the United States. (nd). National Archives. Retrieved February 10, 2014, from Observing Constitutional Day: http://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/constitution-day/ratification.htmlWadsworth Cengage Learning. (2010). Bridges to democracy: the essentials. In JG Geer, WJ Schiller, JA Segal, and DK Glencross, An Introduction To American Government (pp. 43-49). Boston: Jean Suzanne.