 United States History -1777 to 1787

• America was now and independent nation having won the
Revolutionary War, but now what?
• What would the country and the government look like?

• First attempt at federal government, a confederation of states.
• Written by the Continental
Congress in 1776, following the
Declaration of Independence
• Final approval and implementation in 1781

 One Branch, Legislature
 Unicameral, one house
 Each state 9-15 representatives
 Each state only one vote on issue
 9 of 13 states must agree to pass a law
 13 of 13 states (unanimous) agreement to amend Articles
 No Executive
 No Judicial, federal court system

• Americans were afraid of a strong national government.
After all, they had fought a war over it. So, they government they decided on was week.
• The national government under the Articles did not have the power to tax or enforce laws. Those powers were left up to the states.
• The national government did have the power to wage war, but since they couldn’t tax, there was no way to pay for it.
• The government could also issue money, but the states didn’t have to use it. They had their own.

• One of the things the new government was allowed to do was divide any new lands the United States acquired.
(Or you could say taken. Most of the lands belonged to the Indians, but that didn’t stop anyone from taking them.
• Under the Northwest Ordinance, when 60,000 people lived in a territory, they could apply to become a state.
• Slavery was also outlawed, but runaway slaves were to be returned to their lawful “owners.”
• Freedom of religion and trial by jury were guaranteed.

 Settlers entering into new lands west of Appalachians
 Concern that states would become too powerful, while others left out.
 How to regulate westward expansion?
 Convince states to cede land back to United States
 Pass law of how to equitably distribute land
 Land Ordinances 1784, 1785
& 1787

• Survey western lands
• Divided surveyed land into
Townships of 6 x 6 miles
• Each Township further divided into 36 one mile squares, known as a Section
• Sections numbered 1-36
• Section 16, reserved for schools
• Sections 18, 11, 26, 29 reserved for federal govern
• Surveyed land started where
Pennsylvania and Virginia met the Ohio, known as Seven
Ranges.

• Since the national government could not tax, and the national money was worthless, debt became a huge problem.
• Debt = owing money
• The biggest problem was that the soldiers who had fought the war, had not been paid, and they were mad.

• You are going to be looking at a picture in a few seconds?
See if you can figure out what is going on in the picture.
Look at the picture closely.
• Describe the people, objects, where the event is happening, and what is happening. (Who, what, where, and objects)

• The American Revolution ended in 1783
• The money paid to the soldiers who had fought in the Revolution was worthless.
• This was because the government was not allowed to raise taxes in the Articles of
Confederation.
• As a result, the farmers were unable to pay their debts .

• The farmers were taken into court, then into jail, and their land was taken away from them.
• Most of the farmers were soldiers who had fought in the Revolution and they were mad.
• In 1786, an armed revolt by farmers against the state government took place.
• Led by Daniel Shays, the farmers began to forcibly prevent the courts from meeting so they couldn’t take anyone else’s land away or put them in jail.
• Early in 1787, the Governor sent 4,400 men against the rebels and the rebels were defeated.
• Shays and the other rebels were pardoned. (An official act of forgiveness)

• Shays’ Rebellion showed the leaders of America that the
Articles of Confederation were too weak, and a stronger national government was needed.
• National leaders called for a convention to change the
Articles of Confederation.