American History: Beginnings to 1877: 4. A Constitution for the United States, Lessons 1–2

States sought to reflect those principles in their constitutions, the documents that set out the basic laws, principles, organization, and processes of a government.

The Articles of Confederation created a loose alliance of 13 independent states.

Maryland refused to ratify the Articles unless Virginia and other states ceded, or have up, their claims to lands west of the Appalachian Mountains.

During the Revolution, the Continental Congress had solved the problem of raising funds by printing paper currency, or money.

Congress planned to sell sections to settlers for a minimum of $640 apiece. In this way, much of this federally owned land was privatized, or moved from public to private ownership.

In 1787, Congress passed the Northwest Ordinance. The law set up a government for the Northwest Territory, guaranteed basic rights to settlers, and outlawed slavery there.

A depression is a period when business activity slows, prices and wages fall, and unemployment rises.

More than 1,000 farmers took part in Shays' Rebellion.

All of them wanted to honor the legacy of the Revolution and the principles for which they had fought.

Finally, Roger Sherman of Connecticut worked out a compromise. A compromise is a solution in which each side gives up some of its demands to reach an agreement.

The compromises, however, also brought up an ethical question. How could the nation's ideals of freedom, liberty, and democracy be adopted alongside slavery?