Final answer:
The 5 percent tax on imports proposed by Congress to alleviate national debt failed because it did not receive unanimous approval from all the states, with Rhode Island's refusal being pivotal.
Step-by-step explanation:
When Congress asked for the 5 percent tax on imports to help pay off national debt after the Revolutionary War, the measure did not quickly pass. Instead, it failed to achieve the necessary unanimous support from all states, with Rhode Island rejecting the proposal. The lack of support for the 5 percent import tax illustrates the deeply rooted suspicion among Americans toward a powerful national government, a sentiment born out of their colonial experiences with the British Parliament's taxing policies. Moreover, this resistance highlighted the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation, which did not grant Congress the authority to tax directly and relied on states' voluntary contributions to fund the national government.