After the Revolutionary War, states drafted their own constitutions to limit the power of governors and establish bicameral legislatures to divide power. Only white males over 21 could vote for state legislatures, which became the most powerful part of state governments. The Continental Congress then worked to form a national republican government, adopting the Articles of Confederation in 1777, but this confederation government faced challenges between 1781-1789 as Congress had limited powers that required supermajorities to pass laws or amendments.