192k views
3 votes
Why didn’t the government supply enough food and equipment to the continent army

1 Answer

4 votes

Answer:

Congress did not have the power to raise taxes to pay for them.

Step-by-step explanation:

Congress was in an unusual situation when it came to the states. While Congress acted on account of the thirteen previous colonies, they had no authority to force them into fighting. As such, no matter how much Congress needed money or supplies, they could not just take them from the states, plus they had no jurisdiction to make any federal tax to raise. This lack of raising taxes brought Congress to vote on a paper-based currency for their use. So, without the authority to tax, a government will have fewer resources to do anything. It cannot adequately police its citizens, protect its people from international trespassers, or monitor business because it cannot pay the associated expenses. The Constitution gave Congress the power to tax and also collect them.

User Tukaef
by
5.4k points