Who's in Charge? Back when the Revolutionary War began, colonists were really only pushing back against the oppressive occupation of Boston. When it finally ends in victory, six years later, the Americans are in full possession of their country. But there is no real government to run it. All the states are broke, saddled with large war debts, and no one really seems to be in charge.

	Post-war Chaos Right from the start, the problem is money. Congress has issued paper money to pay for the war (center top), while individual states have issued their own notes (bottom left and right). With the war over, these paper notes are now nearly worthless. Troops who had been paid with such paper find that no one will accept it, and are forced to borrow. When they are unable to pay back these loans, their property is confiscated. Meanwhile, the entire country is in a deep economic slump.
	What to Do? After six years of frustration, the states once again send delegates to meet in Philadelphia. The original intent is just to patch up the existing system, but it doesn't take long to realize that the system has to be scrapped altogether. America needs an entirely new document, a Constitution, to create a functional government that preserves individual freedom. But no one has tried to develop a system of government responsive to the needs of ordinary citizens since the old days of the Roman Republic.