Land Act of 1785
helped to establish new towns by establishing surveying techniques for the wilderness and fair ways to distribute land
Northwest Ordinance
Enacted in 1787, it is considered one of the most significant achievements of the Articles of Confederation. It established a system for setting up governments in the western territories so they could eventually join the Union on an equal footing with the
Confederation
An alliance of independent states in which most authority is retained at the local or state level and very little is given to a central power
Articles of Confederation
this document, the nations first constitution, was adopted by the second continental congress in 1781during the revolution. the document was limited because states held most of the power, and congress lacked the power to tax, regulate trade, or control co
unitary
characterized by or constituting a form of government in which power is held by one central authority
federal
characterized by or constituting a form of government in which power is divided between one central and several regional authorities
Constitutional Convention
meeting of delegates in 1787 to revise the Articles of Confederation, which produced the new U.S. Constitution
Albany Plan of Union
plan proposed by Benjamin Franklin in 1754 that aimed to unite the 13 colonies for trade, military, and other purposes; the plan was turned down by the colonies and the Crown