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Approval of the Articles of Confederation
By March of 1781, all thirteen states had ratified, or approved, the Articles -
End of Revolutionary War
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Treaty of Paris
In 1783 the Confederation signed a peace treaty with Britain, which recognized American independence -
Land Ordinance
the Land Ordinance of 1785, allowed the government to survey and divide the Northwest Territory into townships of equal acreage -
Shays’s Rebellion
In 1786 armed groups of farmers marched to several courts and closed them down, preventing them from hearing foreclosure proceedings. -
Accumulation of Debt
By 1787, the national government owed $40 million to foreign governments and to American soldiers who were still unpaid after the war. -
Northwest Ordinance
the Northwest Ordinance of 1787, said that once these areas reached certain population levels, they could appoint a governor and judges, elect legislators, and achieve statehood on an equal basis with the original thirteen states. -
Constitution of 1787
Congress also set up the departments of Foreign Affairs, War, Marine, and the Treasury, each under a single permanent secretary. This development set a precedent for the creation of cabinet departments under the Constitution of 1787 -
A Move to Revise the Articles
In 1787, a few months after Shays’s Rebellion, delegates from the states began meeting to propose changes to the Articles of Confederation to help regulate trade and to make the national government more effective -
Creating a New Government
In May 1787, the Constitutional Convention began the daunting task of crafting a new system of government. -
The Constitution was complete.
By September 17, 1787, the Constitution was complete. Thirty-nine delegates signed the document. -
The Constitution Went Into Effect
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The Federalists Won
The Federalists won in a close vote in Virginia on June 25, 1788 -
The Federalistson by Three Votes.
On July 26, 1788, the Federalists in New York won by three votes. -
Bill of Rights
Congress approved 12 amendments and the states ratified 10 of them in 1791, which became known as the Bill of Rights. -
Congress Met In Federal Hall
On March 4, 1789, Congress met for the first time in Federal Hall in New York City, the temporary capital. To fulfill the promises made during the fight for ratification, James Madison introduced a set of amendments during the first session