Can someone tell me if the states were functioning under the articles of confederation after the American revolution?

Answer 1

The states were functioning under the Articles of Confederation. In fact, the major weakness of the Articles as a national government was that the states had more power than the Articles. States coined their own money, regulated what commerce was permitted in their borders, and in effect acted as independent little nations. Foreign nations were wary to negotiate commercial treaties with the government under the Articles because there was no guarantee all the state would honor the treaty.