Funny, we didn’t need consolidation to beat the Brits. And of course, we already WERE the United States before the constitution.
The Articles were so effective that Virginia was on its own as Cornwallis and the infamous Tarleton cut a swath of destruction unequaled until the ravages of Sherman. The Virginia government had to flee across the Shenandoah. The situation was so bad a military dictator named Thomas Nelson was appointed. He confiscated stores and various supplies without regard to the law, from civilians to assist Washington and the French forces.
We won at Yorktown despite, not because of the totally inadequate Articles.