Level 1
 Government: a system of rule over citizens
 Branch of government: a section of a government
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with a specific purpose (legislative branch, executive
branch, judicial branch)
Alliance: an agreement to work together
Treaty of Paris: the agreement that ended the
Revolutionary War with Britain
Foreign Debt: money owed to a foreign country
Depression: drastic decline in the economy
 What is a government?
 How did the first United States government operate?
 Congress was the only
branch of government
 Each state had equal
representation
 one vote for each state
Congress Building Today
Congress’s power under the Articles included:
 Making war and peace
 Treaty of Paris 1783:
 John Jay, John Adams,
Benjamin Franklin signed a
treaty with Britain even
though Congress told them
not to.
Congress’s power under the Articles included:
 Making war and peace
 What was included in the Treaty of
Paris?
 American independence
 Boundaries: 45th parallel and the
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Great Lakes (N), Mississippi River
(W), 31st parallel (S), Atlantic Ocean
(E)
fishing rights off the coast of New
Foundland, and the mouth of St.
Lawrence River
US and Great Britain could use the
Mississippi River
Repay debts
Return of Loyalist property
British troops would leave the US
 Congress accepted it Jan. 14, 1784
Congress’s power under the Articles included:
 Conducting foreign and Native
American Indian affairs
 Britain wouldn’t leave the Northwest
Territory because congress didn’t pay
debts or return Loyalist property
(Congress could only ask the states to
do this).
 Spain and US claimed the some of
the same land
 Foreign Debts: couldn’t pay debt to
the Dutch and French governments
 Barbary Pirates: Mediterranean Sea
pirates demanded money from
American ships or their ships would
be attacked; US had no navy and
couldn’t protect the ships
Congress’s power under the Articles included:
 The settlement of disputes
between and among states
 Maryland, Virginia and
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other states claimed the
same land in the
Northwest Territory
VA gave up the land claim
to Congress
Maryland then signed the
Articles of Confederation
in March of 1781
NY and NH both claimed
Vermont
States charged each other
tariffs
Congress’s power under the Articles included:
 Issuance of currency and
borrowing
 Owed $40 million but
couldn’t pay it because it
couldn’t tax
 Made money but there was a
postwar depression and the
states made their own money
with different rules. Farmers
lost their land and some were
jailed. This led to Shays’
Rebellion. (21:36-22:44)
 What is a government?
 How did the first United States government operate?