
Articles of Confederation


Free and Independent States: Forgotten Conclusion of the American Revolution
Signed on Sept 3, 1783 – the Treaty of Paris was intended to end the war for independence. But the war didn’t officially end on that date with the signatures of Franklin, John Adams and John Jay. The treaty, made with 13 free, sovereign, and independent...
Myth Busted! Virginia, Not Congress, Called for the Philadelphia Convention
Most people seem to believe that the constitutional convention of 1787 was called for by Congress under the Articles of Confederation. Even the Library of Congress makes this claim. But it’s totally false. It was actually the Commonwealth of Virginia that initiated...
History Ignored: The Northwest Ordinance of 1787
One of the most important foundational documents in American history, the Northwest Ordinance of 1787 is one that most people never learn about. Following principles outlined by Thomas Jefferson in 1784, it included a precursor to the bill of rights four years before...
Tax Battle! Henry vs Hamilton on the Requisition System
In a huge change from the Articles of Confederation, the Constitution eliminated “requisitions,” what many saw as a primary reason for the new system of taxation. Rejecting Alexander Hamilton and other Federalists in this debate were Patrick Henry and the...