1781–1788 - Articles of Confederation

Alexander Hamilton's speech to the New York Convention delivered on June 24, 1788.

John Hancock was a leader of the Patriot Cause in Massachusetts, President of the Massachusetts Provincial Congress, and President of the Second Continental Congress. He was also aligned with the Sons of Liberty.

Francis Hopkinson was a Founding Father from New Jersey. Hopkinson was a signer of the Declaration of Independence and may have been involved in designing the United States Flag.

The Iroquois Confederacy — or the Haudenosaunee — was a league made up of six distinct Native American Indian nations that spoke the same language. The Confederacy is most well-known for its role in the Fur Trade and the major wars that shaped the American Colonies.

John Jay was a Founding Father and the First Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. Jay represented New York in the Continental Congress and was an author of the Federalist Papers. He wrote the Constitution of New York and served as Governor from 1795-1801.

Thomas Jefferson was a Founding Father and the third President of the United States. He is the author of the Declaration of Independence and founded the University of Virginia. He also served as Governor of Virginia, Virginia Congressman, Minister to France, Secretary of State under George Washington and Vice President under John Adams.

Thomas Jefferson was a Founding Father who helped shape the ideas that led to the independence of the United States. This collection includes important quotes from Jefferson about Liberty, the American Revolution, the Constitution, and other important topics.

Henry Knox was a General in the Continental Army and a close friend of George Washington. Knox led the expedition to retrieve cannon and artillery from Fort Ticonderoga in 1775 and served as Chief Artillery Officer of the Continental Army during the American Revolution.

Marquis de Lafayette was a French aristocrat and soldier who is most well-known in America for his support of the Patriot Cause and service in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War.

Key Facts about the Land Ordinance of 1785, enacted by the Confederation Congress on May 20, 1785

The Land Ordinance of 1785 was enacted by the Confederation Congress on May 20, 1785. It established policies and procedures for the orderly survey and settlement of lands purchased from Indian inhabitants in areas of North America ceded by Great Britain to the United States after the Revolutionary War.

James Madison was the fourth President of the United States and a principal author of The Federalist Papers. Madison is considered by some to be the "Father of the Constitution."

“Manifest Destiny” is the idea that Americans had a “God-given right” — a divine right — to expand across the continent, from the east coast to the west coast, from “sea to shining sea,” planting democracy, capitalism, and Christianity along the way.

John Marshall (1755–1845) was a Founding Father, an officer in the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War, a congressional representative from Virginia, Secretary of State, and 4th Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court.

The Middle Passage was a route in the Triangular Trade System that started in Northwest Africa, crossed the Atlantic Ocean, and ended in the Americas. The Middle Passage is most well-known for its use in the Transatlantic Slave Trade and the terrible suffering it imposed on imprisoned Africans who were sold into slavery.

General Thomas Mifflin was an officer in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. He fought in several key battles during the war, and also served as a member of the Continental Congress as a delegate from Pennsylvania. Although he was involved in a plot to remove George Washington as Commander-in-Chief, he participated in the Constitutional Convention and signed the document, and is a Founding Father.

Enacted by the Confederation Congress on July 13, 1787, the Northwest Ordinance established a plan for governing the Northwest Territory. Later modified several times, the document served as a blueprint for adding new states to the Union as the United States expanded westward. Below is an annotated version of the transcript of the document.

Key facts about the Northwest Ordinance enacted by the Confederation Congress on July 13, 1787.

Enacted by the Confederation Congress on July 13, 1787, the Northwest Ordinance established a plan for governing the Northwest Territory. Modified several times, the document later served as a blueprint for adding new states to the Union as the United States expanded westward.  

The Northwest Territory was an important region of North America that played a key role in many of the events that led to the American Revolutionary War, the Westward Expansion of the United States, and the removal of Indian tribes from the Appalachian Mountains to the Mississippi River.