America under the America under the Articles of ConfederationArticles of Confederation

THE CONFEDERATIONTHE CONFEDERATION

2nd Continental Congress

(1775-1781)

Declared independence from England

Governed colonies through first few years of war

Wrote the Articles of Confederation

Created BY the Articles of Confederation

Governed colonies through last few years of war and after

Wrote Northwest Ordinance

A Tale of Two Congresses

Confederation Congress

(1781-1789)

Articles of Confederation• November 1777 – America’s 1America’s 1stst

constitutionconstitution– Created DURING the Revolutionary War after the Created DURING the Revolutionary War after the

Declaration of IndependenceDeclaration of Independence– Provided a national governmenta national government– States gave up little of their power

• “A firm leaguefirm league of friendshipfriendship”• States kept “sovereignty, freedom, &

independence”

Articles formally become our govt. on March 1, 1781

Settling the Public Domain• The Articles of

Confederation did not give congress the power to tax

• Many people wanted to give congress control of public lands in the west to raise revenue

• Some large states already had claims to land in the west

• Many of the smaller states refused to approve the Articles of Confederation unless they ceded them to the national government

The Land Ordinance of 1785 and the The Land Ordinance of 1785 and the Northwest TerritoryNorthwest Territory

• Once congress had control of the western lands the had to figure out what to do with them

• Passed laws that provided a method to divide the land and distribute it

• Passed laws that set up an orderly method to govern these lands and bring them into the union of states.

• Provided an orderly procedure to sell lands north of Ohio River

• Divided territory into townships 6 miles x 6 miles

square

• Opportunity to a lot of land cheap

• Some land was reserved for Revolutionary War veterans

Land Ordinance of 1785

1 2 3 4 5 6

7 8 9 10 11 12

13 14 15 1616 17 18

19 20 21 22 23 24

25 26 27 28 29 30

31 32 33 34 35 366 miles

6 miles

A

BC

D D

A – Half-section = 320 acresB – Quarter-section = 160 acresC – Half-quarter section = 80 acresD – Quarter-quarter section = 40 acres

Land sold for $1 per acre

Northwest Ordinance (1787)Northwest Ordinance (1787)• Passed in 1787, it created a

system of government for the Northwest Territory

– Land north of Ohio River & west of Pennsylvania to the Mississippi River

• Created a method for organized settlement in the Northwest Territory

• Outlined the settlers’ rights.

• Set a pattern for the orderly growth of the United States.

– this pattern would be followed in territories added after the Northwest Territory.

Lake

Mic

higa

nLa

ke M

ichi

gan

Lake SuperiorLake Superior

Lake Lake HuronHuron

Lake ErieLake Erie

Lake Ontario

Lake Ontario

STOP!

Northwest Ordinance (1787)Northwest Ordinance (1787)• Passed in 1787, it created a government for the Northwest Territory

– Land north of Ohio River & west of Pennsylvania to the Mississippi River

Section 1• Northwest Territory was to be divided into at least 3 but no more than 5 states

Section 2• 3-step process to achieve statehood; could petition for statehood

– At first territory would be ruled by a governor, secretary and 3 judges appointed by Congress

– When adult male population reached 5,000 they elect territorial legislature and a territorial delegate to Congress

– When TOTAL population reached 60,000 they could apply for statehood

– Would come into Union with all rights & privileges of original 13 states

• Set a precedent that new states would have equal status to old states

Northwest Ordinance (1787)Northwest Ordinance (1787)Section 3• Created a Bill of rights

for settlers

• Slavery would not be allowed in the Northwest territory– Insured that northern

states would be free territory

• Protected freedom of religion

• Ensured trial by jury