America had been struggling under the Articles of Confederation for five years. The articles provided for just one house of Congress and no executive branch. As a result, the government had no power to draft troops, regulate trade, or levy taxes. Powerless to remedy currency shortages, it was also unable to appease debt-ridden farmers. In the 1786 uprising known as Shays' Rebellion, farmers in western Massachusetts threatened to march on the federal arsenal at Springfield. Other minor uprisings followed, and the prospect of mob insurrection helped spur wealthy landholders and other elites to unite behind the calls for a stronger central government.