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...

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...

Among the many weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation was the inability of the government to conduct foreign policy in an effective manner. Find out how the Constitutional Convention addressed this issue by allowing the Executive...

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...

With this resource, you can search by keyword for particular subjects within the Federalist Papers, or you can access by number each of the Papers. Also available are links to four related documents: The Annapolis Convention, Articles of...

Each of the Articles of the Constitution are described in full detail with simplified summaries of each of the sections together with the full, original text.

Essay covers from the Articles of Confederation and the problems of disunity of the new states after the Revolutionary War, internally as well as externally, to the Constitutional Convention, an attempt to address the Articles' problems....

This site from the Library of Congress offers descriptions of multiple events, people and beliefs that helped shape the government and culture of the U.S. Links to views of historical documents and pictures depicting the religious...

The University of Chicago provides a letter from Richard Henry Lee to George Mason in which Lee describes the financial problems the Confederation has run into and suggests minor reforms be made.

Read the text of the Land Ordinance of 1785, which was written to manage the land controlled by the Confederation government west of the Appalachian Mountains, land that became part of the United States after the Revolutionary War.

Comprehensive overview of the U.S. Constitution. Places the Constitution in context with two other founding charters of American democracy and government, the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights. Includes access to digital...

See transcripts of the debates of the Federal Convention of 1787, the draft of the Constitution, or see the facsimiles of the original documents. Trace the progress of the Constitution using the historical documents themselves.

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 learners 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...

With the end of the Revolution, the United States again had to face the old unsolved Western question -- the problem of expansion, with its complications of land, fur trade, Indians, settlement and local government. Lured by the richest...

By the end of this section of a chapter on "Creating Republican Governments," students will be able to explain the development of state constitutions, describe the features of the Articles of Confederation, and analyze the causes and...

In this lesson, students will learn about the Articles of Confederation's strengths and weaknesses as well as how it downfalls impacted the writing and ideas in the U.S. Constitution.

A learning module on the Great Compromise and the role it played in developing the US Constitution in 1787. It includes several supporting questions accompanied by formative tasks and source materials, followed by a summative performance...

Direct online access to the basic Federal Government documents that define our democratic society, a core group of current and historical Government publications.

From 1774 to 1789, the Continental Congress served as the government of the 13 American colonies and later the United States. The First Continental Congress, which was comprised of delegates from the colonies, met in 1774 in reaction to...

A collection which uses primary sources to explore the creation of the US Constitution.

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 resource from the Architect of the Capitol is a government site that focuses on art and architecture in the U.S. Capitol. Features a picture of a marble statue of Sherman.