[Free Registration/Login Required] This flipchart focuses on social studies skills by introducing students to Georgia's 1st Constitution and new United States' Articles of Confederation. Timelines are introduced where students add facts...

See how the actions of state legislatures threatened the very existence of a national government during the Confederation Era.

Enacted through the Articles of Confederation, the Northwest Ordinance led to the organization of the Northwest Territory and expedited the expansion of the United States westward. This is a thorough explanation of the ordinance.

This comprehensive site from the Curatorial Services of the House of Commons in Ottawa collects and celebrates the architecture, fine art, and heritage spaces of Canada's Parliament. The Collection Profiles gives students web-based...

The new United States government had many problems under the Articles of Confederation. Find out what these problems were, but also discover some of the successes accomplished under that constitution. [pdf]

Although there were some glaring weaknesses for the central government under the Articles of Confederation, there were some stunning accomplishments. Read about the successes and think about how important they were for the future of the...

Explains why the Articles of Confederation were not strong enough to hold the country together. One result was a farmers' rebellion in Massachusetts led by Daniel Shays, which was precipitated by a debt crisis that caused many farmers to...

See how colonial and state constitutions differed and how the idea of a social contract between a government and its citizens is reflected in the state constitutions. The second half of this site gives an abbreviated text of the Articles...

Read how the Confederate Congress dealt with issues about claims of land by states, Native Americans, and squatters west of the Appalachian Mountains. See how the Land Ordinance of 1785 divided up the land, supported public education,...

The original text from the University of Chicago Press of a 1780 letter from Alexander Hamilton to James Duane, who later became a delegate to the Constitutional Convention, on the weaknesses of the existing U.S. government under the...

A lengthy and detailed article on the issues and events of the Constitutional Conventions in their attempt to amend and then replace the Articles of Confederation.

These step-by-step lesson plans help students understand the historical background to the U.S. Constitution. Students simulate a hypothetical situation where they must create their own rules and figure out how to work together. Links to...

Using primary texts and prior study of Colonial America and the Revolution, students examine "what type of government would best represent the ideals of the American Revolution." Worksheets, discussions, and role-playing within this...

Known as the "Financier of the Revolution," Robert Morris played a critical role in winning and securing American independence. As chairman of the Continental Congress's Finance Committee between 1775 and 1778, Morris traded flour and...

Read about the change of plans when delegates to the Philadelphia convention decided to write a new constitution to replace the Articles of Convention. See the ideas delegates had to address concerns of large and small states.

Synopsis of the historical significance of Shays' Rebellion in 1786 and how this upheaval influenced the Continental Congress to adopt the Constitution of the United States.

John Jay epitomized the selfless leader of the American Revolution. Born to a prominent New York family, John Jay gained notoriety as a lawyer in his home state. He favored a moderate approach to Britain but joined his fellow Patriots...

Although not the most charismatic or eloquent Founder, Roger Sherman was highly esteemed by his contemporaries. At Sherman's death, Ezra Stiles, president of Yale College, wrote, "He was an extraordinary man-a venerable uncorrupted...

John Dickinson was called "The Penman of the American Revolution." During the 1760s and 1770s, he authored numerous important essays in defense of American rights, including The Late Regulations Respecting the British Colonies, the...

Resource explains how during the time of the Civil War the Supreme Court used Article I, Section 10, Clause 1 of the U.S. Constitution to show that the Confederation formed by the seceding States had no legal existence. The site also...

How did the new government deal the Native Americans living in the Northwest Territory? Find out what the government did to keep the peace between the original inhabitants and the new settlers.

How did we go from thirteen British colonies to the United States of America? Explore the major hardships of life under British rule, how the colonists decided to break away, and how they set a path for a new and independent government....

The ratification debate between the Federalists and Anti-Federalists gives us insight into the ideas behind both sides and a better understanding of how our government developed in its early years.

A brash, self-made millionaire helped fund the fight for independence, but after the war, he ended up in debtor's prison. Without Robert Morris, the American Revolution may have been crushed under a mountain of debt and disarray. The...