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Lesson 7: What was the first national government like?


Terms

Articles of Confederation  The first constitution of the United States. It was adopted in 1781 and replaced in 1788 by our present Constitution.

confederation  A form of political organization in which states combine for specified purposes, such as defense. The United States was a confederation from 1776 to 1788.

delegate  Used as a verb, it means to entrust someone to represent your interests. As a noun, it means the person chosen to act for you or represent you, usually at a convention or meeting.

Northwest Ordinance  An important law passed by Congress in 1787 under the Articles of Confederation. The law provided for settling the western lands and organizing new states.

ordinace  an order or law made by a government.