9.2 The Confederation Era pp. 255-260

Objectives: Identify the problems faced under the Articles of Confederation. Explain how the Northwest Ordinance provided for growth in the West.

Review: 1. Define constitutions— 2. After the Revolution, what group was the only one to enjoy the full benefits of citizenship? 3. What was the name of our first national constitution? 4. Define ratify— 5. What were three weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation?

A. Land Ordinance of 1785 (pp. 255-256) To provide an orderly method for settling land north of the Ohio River, Congress passed the Land Ordinance of 1785. Land would be divided into townships 6 miles square; each township would contain 36 sections. Revenue from the sale of one section in every township supported the creation of a public school.

B. The Northwest Ordinance (pp. 256-257) The Northwest Ordinance of 1787 stated that no less than three and no more than five territories could be carved out of the Northwest Territory. As soon as 5,000 adult white males settled a territory, it could elect a territorial legislature. When the population reached 60,000, the people of a territory could write a constitution and apply for statehood.

C. New Requirements (p. 257) Each new territory had to be a republic, a type of government in which representatives are elected to govern on behalf of the people. The ordinance prohibited slaveholding in the territories, the first law in the U.S. to restrict the practice of slavery.

D. Achievements of a Young Nation (p. 257) The Land Ordinance of 1785 and the Northwest Ordinance provided an orderly way for the new states to become political equals. Eventually five new states arose from the Northwest Territory—Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin.

E. A Failing Economy (pp. 258-259) After the Revolution, the U.S. owed millions of dollars, but repaying this debt was difficult without the ability to tax and with a near worthless currency. The nation had entered an economic depression, a period when business activity slows down and unemployment increases. Farmers who had increased production during the war were now finding it difficult to repay their creditors; many began losing their land to banks.

F. Shays’ Rebellion (p. 259) In September 1786, the farmers’ discontent ignited a rebellion in Massachusetts. Through donations from wealthy merchants, Massachusetts raised a militia strong enough to end Shays’ Rebellion. But the uprising led many to question the effectiveness of the government and to seek ways of revising the Articles of Confederation.

Review: What legislation provided a more orderly way for selling and settling land north of the Ohio River? What did the revenue from the sale of one section in every township support? What legislation set up provisions for governing the Northwest Territory? Define republic— What practice was prohibited in the Northwest Territory? Define economic depression— What was the name of the uprising by Massachusetts farmers that revealed the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation?