Final answer:
After the Revolutionary War, farmers and veterans faced debt and risked losing their properties or imprisonment due to the inability to pay off debts with valueless paper money. The new government struggled with a $43 million debt and lacked the ability to tax to raise revenues, leading to economic hardship and protests like Shays' Rebellion.
Step-by-step explanation:
At the end of the Revolutionary War, the group of people who were left in debt and threatened with losing their property or going to debtor's prison were primarily farmers, many of whom were also veterans of the war. These individuals faced high taxes and debts that they could not repay due to the valueless state and Continental paper money. The economic crisis escalated in 1786 and 1787, particularly in western Massachusetts, leading to actions such as Shays' Rebellion. Veterans faced additional difficulties as many were not fully compensated for their service and faced issues with land grants and pensions. The new government struggled to meet its financial obligations, including repaying the public debt which was approximately $43 million at the end of the war in 1783. Moreover, Congress did not have the power to tax, adding to the fiscal challenges of the new nation.