Creation of the American Republic and the Articles of Confederation

Vocabulary terms and definitions summarizing the initial formation of state and national governments following independence in 1776, the structure and limits of the Articles of Confederation, early western land policies, and the events leading to the Constitutional Convention.

Republic

A form of government where citizens vote on elected leaders, designed as an "enlightened" version of Roman government to protect citizens and individual states from a powerful national government.

Articles of Confederation (1777–1789)

America's first national government, featuring a "confederation" style structure that loosely connected the 13 states under a weak national government.

State Representation and Voting (under Articles of Confederation)

The system where each state sent 2 to 7 representatives to the national Congress but received only 1 vote per state, requiring $\frac{9}{13}$ states to agree to pass a law.

Powers of the National Congress (under Articles of Confederation)

The authority to make laws, settle disputes between states, negotiate treaties, handle Indian affairs, and oversee the military, while holding no power to tax states or citizens and having no president.

Land Ordinance of 1785

A law passed by Congress establishing an orderly way to divide the western lands into townships and farms, providing the only source of revenue for the national government.

Northwest Ordinance of 1787

Legislation that allowed a territory to apply for statehood once it reached $60{,}000$ residents and banned slavery in the Northwest territory.

Shays' Rebellion (1787)

An uprising among Massachusetts farmers provoked by high taxes, property foreclosures, and the prospect of debtors' jails, which the national government lacked funds to raise an army to suppress.

Constitutional Convention of 1787

The convention called after Shays' Rebellion served as the convincing event proving the need to address the fatal weaknesses of the national government under the Articles of Confederation.