Question

why couldnt the u.s. government pay any of its debts after the war?
because the government did not have the power to tax. it could only ask the states to give it money.
because britain tried to and bankrupt the u.s. by pressuring banks to not allow the u.s. to make any loan payments.
because the money was stolen by british soldiers when they looted the white house after the battle of lexington.

Explanation:

Under the Articles of Confederation (the governing document after the Revolutionary War), the U.S. federal government lacked the authority to levy taxes on citizens. It could only request voluntary funds from individual states, which often did not provide sufficient money, leaving the government unable to pay its war debts. The other options are incorrect: Britain did not bankrupt the U.S. by pressuring banks, and the White House looting (during the War of 1812) occurred long after the initial post-Revolutionary debt crisis, with the Battle of Lexington happening at the start of the Revolutionary War, not as a post-war looting event.

Answer:

A. Because the government did not have the power to tax. It could only ask the states to give it money.