Level 2
 Government: a system of rule over citizens
 Branch of government: a section of a government




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
 2-7 delegates per state
but only one vote for
each state
Congress Building Today
Congress’s power under the Articles included:
 Making war and peace
 Treaty of Paris 1783:
 Treaty of Alliance between the
US and France stated no peace
could be made until both
countries were finished fighting
the British
 France had a similar agreement
with Spain
 John Jay, John Adams,
Benjamin Franklin signed a
treaty with Britain despite the
alliance with France and the
instruction by Congress not to.
Congress’s power under the Articles included:
 Making war and peace
 What was included in the Treaty of
Paris?
 Independence of Americans
 Boundaries: 45th parallel and the Great





Lakes (N), Mississippi River (W), 31st
parallel (S), Atlantic Ocean and islands
20 leagues out to sea (E)
Unlimited fishing rights off the coast of
New Foundland, and mouth of the St.
Lawrence River
Great Britain and the US could both
navigate the Mississippi
Repayment of debts
Loyalist property would be returned
Withdrawal of British troops from the
United States
 Congress accepted it Jan. 14, 1784
Congress’s power under the Articles included:
 Conducting foreign and Native American
Indian affairs
 Britain refused to leave posts in the
Northwest Territory because congress hadn’t
paid debts or returned Loyalist property
(Congress could only encourage this to the
states).
 Disputes with Spain over land boundaries
created with the Treaty of Paris and
navigation of the lower Mississippi

John Jay was sent to negotiate but Congress
couldn’t agree and the negotiations ended
 Foreign Debts: couldn’t pay millions of
dollars of debt to the Dutch and French
governments
 Barbary Pirates: Mediterranean Sea pirates
demanded tribute from American ships or
their ships would be attacked; US had no
navy and couldn’t protect their commercial
rights in the region
Congress’s power under the Articles included:
 The settlement of disputes
between and among states
 Maryland, Virginia and




other states claimed the
same territory of 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
 Had borrowed and owed $40
million but couldn’t pay it
because it couldn’t collect taxes
and the land sales in the
Northwest Territory weren’t
enough
 Coined and distributed money
but there was a postwar
depression and the states began
to issue their own currency with
different regulations. Farmers
lost their land and in some cases
were jailed. This led to Shays’
Rebellion. (21:36-22:44)
 What is a government?
 How did the first United States government operate?