What problems did Congress have during the Revolutionary War?

What problems did Congress have during the Revolutionary War?

Congress lacked the power to levy taxes and struggled to finance the Revolutionary War. With the ratification of the Articles of Confederation, the Congress became known as the Congress of the Confederation.

What was the biggest challenge for the Continental Congress during the Revolutionary War?

The years immediately following the end of the Revolutionary War in 1783 presented the young American nation with a series of difficulties that Congress could not adequately remedy: dire financial straits, interstate rivalries and domestic insurrection.

Why was it difficult for the Continental Congress to purchase food and supplies that were needed for the troops?

Paper money, or currency, became more and more worthless as the war went on. That meant that the Quartermaster could not easily purchase military supplies from Europe or food from local farmers. Congress and the states were not able to raise the money needed to run the war effort.

How did the Continental Congress pay for the Revolutionary War?

Because the Continental Congress was unable to levy taxes to pay for the war, it relied on the printing press to issue nearly $250 million in paper money (the so-called Continental).

Why did the value of the Continental currency collapse?

As Congress struggled in getting cooperation from the states, the value of continental currency collapsed. The only way out would have been for the states to cooperate. In a debate on the floor of Congress, this was discussed and laid out by one delegate.

What was the good and bad of the Continental Army?

The bad was that not only could the Continental Army not fulfill its quota for new troops, it could not keep the ones it had. The good was that as the war progressed, the militias were able to take advantage of this influx of talent and become a much more effective fighting force.

How much money was spent on the Revolutionary War?

In all, during the Revolutionary War, Congress printed almost $242 million [4] in face value Continental currency. The true specie amount was about $46 million, as shown in the above chart.