Articles of Confederation
The Land Ordinance and the Northwest Ordinance
Articles
The Articles of Confederation were the first official laws of America, though not necessarily the best. By discussing both the Land Ordinance and the Northwest Ordinance, I will show the benefits of the Articles of Confederation.
The Land Ordinance
The Land Ordinance of 1785 was adopted by the Continental Congress in the United States on May 20, 1785. Under the Articles of Confederation, Congress did not have the power to raise revenue by direct taxation of the inhabitants of the United States. (Ohiohistorycentral) This stemmed from the colonist's, "No taxation without representation" rule during the beginnings of the Revolutionary war.
The Northwest Ordinance
The Northwest Ordinance, adopted July 13, 1787, by the Second Continental Congress, chartered a government for the Northwest Territory, provided a method for admitting new states to the Union from the territory, and listed a bill of rights guaranteed in the territory. (http://www.ourdocuments.gov/doc.php?flash=true&doc=8) This meant that the Northwest now had law and could be represented.