Final answer:
The plan of government adopted after independence established a federal system which restricted the power of the national government and allowed the states to retain some sovereignty.
Step-by-step explanation:
The plan of government adopted after independence established a strong and cohesive national government while still protecting the rights of the states. It created a federal system of government, which allowed some powers to stay at the national level, while reserving others to the states and requiring that the national and state governments share other powers as well. This ensured that the power of the national government would be restricted and that the states would retain a degree of sovereignty.