Articles of Confederation 

• The government had less control over the economy under the articles
• Needed unanimous approval to change the Articles
• 9/13 needed to pass laws

Robert Morris - superintendent of finance:

• Thought public debt was a net positive

Americans were unwilling to give too much power to a central government, after the bad experiences under British rule

Land Ordinance of 1785: land to be parcelled into 6-mile squared townships of 36 single square-mile sections (Old Northwest)

• 1 square mile sold for public education
• Statehood = 60,000 inhabitants
• Slavery was not permitted in the NW; although grandfathering was allowed, and the fugitive slave cause was enforced

AOC helped to end the revolution (Treaty of Paris 1783)

• Federal government could not tax, states did not have to follow federal laws & treaties
• States only had to follow their own laws, and did not NOT have to follow other states’ laws.
• No executive branch & court system, caused tensions between states, there were only state courts

Cons of AOC:

• hard to raise money
• no assurance individual states would follow them
• hard time defending borders because a lack of executive government
• needed approval from all 13 states to make changes to AOC

Shays’ Rebellion:

• Massachusetts Farmers angry after not being paid back for lending money for the rebellion
• Refused to pay state taxes and beat up tax collectors