How was life in the colonies after their independence?

Life in the colonies was not easy after the Revolutionary War.  There was a great deal of uncertainty.  Britain was not a willing trade partner and, as a stipulation of the Treaty of Paris, the colonists still had to pay their debts to the British.  The national government also owed money to Spain, France, and the Netherlands for their help in winning the war.  The Articles of Confederation did not allow for national taxation, so it was unclear as to how the money would be raised to pay the national debt.  The government owed money to individuals as well, especially the soldiers who had given so much to the patriot cause.  In many cases, the money could not be raised. Alternatively, if it was, it was in Continental dollars that proved to be worthless.  The soldiers were then paid in western land, but the land was sold for pennies on the dollar to land speculators who sought to take advantage of these soldiers.  The most famous instance of citizens becoming disgruntled with the federal government was Shay's Rebellion.  Daniel Shay led farmers, many of whom were veterans, against the Massachusetts government when it looked like they would lose their farms due to taxes.  While the rebellion was ultimately put down, this put enough pressure on the national government to reconvene for a constitutional convention.