One Nations or Thirteen States
What was the first written document to establish a United States government?
The Articles of Confederation.
What territory was included of the Northwest Ordinance?
Land north of the Ohio River and east of the Mississippi River.
When the Second Continental Congress approved the Articles of Confederation, what did it do?
Officially accepted it.
For what purpose did Congress issue the Northwest Ordinance?
To organize the settlement of the Northwest Territory.
Why did the Articles of the Confederation assign Congress to oversee foreign affairs and war?
It does not make sense for individual states to make foreign policy or to conduct wars.
How did the treatment of Native Americans change when the government decided to treat American Indians as "conquered nations"?
The result was that Congress sent soldiers to the Northwest Territory to remove American Indians by force. Settlers also regularly attacked and killed groups of American Indians without government support.
Summarize the powers allocated to the states by the Articles of the Confederation.
States could run their own state government, print their own money, and could write their own constitutions. States did not have to pay taxes to the Confederation.
How did some American Indians respond to the encroachment on their land?
They defended themselves. The Miami, Shawnee, and Delaware people formed a military alliance. Miami chief Little Turtle attacked Arthur St. Claire's troops. Nine hundred men were killed or wounded in the attack.
Based on what you have read, why were the Articles of the Confederation important?
While not perfect, the Articles of Confederation provided an important first step in the process of writing the U.S. Constitution.
What are the pros and cons of settling in the new territory?
Pros: The appeal of new land, access to new resources in the Midwest, and fleeing slavery in other states.
Cons: Dangerous conflict with American Indians, land prices that were difficult to afford, and the Northwest Territory's lack of big cities such as Philadelphia and Boston.