This problem, although quite large and increasing, was secondary to the problem of protecting Americans and their young freedom.
It became very apparent that the lack of sufficient armed forces would lead to situations and confrontations that threaten the independence of the new nation. One of the first such situations came when British forces refused to vacate U.S. soil. The nine military posts occupied by these British troops left the U.S. very venerable. They could not force the British to retreat and could not guarantee that the British would not attempt to move inland from these border posts. .
Because of the importance of the Mississippi River to trade, it also became a target of other countries. It was closed by the Spanish government. Without access to the Mississippi, the U.S. trade industry would suffer greatly. Without trade, any nation, let alone a young nation, would face collapse. .
Another issue that became more apparent was the increased conflicts between settlers and Native Americans. This was especially a problem in Georgia, Pennsylvania and Virginia. The lack of military forces did not only affect the new nation domestically, but also led to U.S. merchant ships being taken over while out in the Mediterranean. Another problem that arose was the rebellious attitude from the Continental Army. Officers in the army began demanding back pay. Such demands were not at all reasonable considering the financial state that the country was in; however, it is understandable that the troops would eventually dwindle as a result of not being paid. Considering that the military forces were already small and inadequate, the threat of losing what they already had was detrimental to future of the U.S.
The government initially began trying to raise money by setting mandates for each state to contribute to the federal government. The mandates were based on population of each state. This brought about the problem of how to count slaves when considering the population.
