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Continental Congress Vote
The Continental Congress voted on Jan 10, 1781, to establish a Department of Foreign Affairs; on Aug 10 of that year, it elected Robert R. Livingston as Secretary of Foreign Affairs. The Secretary’s duties involved corresponding with U.S. representatives abroad and with ministers of foreign powers. -
Articles of Confederation Ratified
In the words of George Washington, the government created by the Articles of the Confederation was “little more than the shadow without the substance.” As the need for a stronger federal government began to be realized, leaders from throughout the states got together to decide how to create it. -
Westward Expansion
Westward Expansion began with the settlement of the first 13 colonies in the East. The 1783 Treaty of Paris was signed on September 3, 1783 and ended the American Revolutionary War and established the early U.S. boundaries. -
Shay's Rebellion
Shays ' Rebellion was an armed uprising that took place in Massachusetts during 1786 and 1787, which some historians believe "fundamentally altered the course of United States' history." -
The Northwest Ordinance of 1787
The Northwest Ordinance was an act of the Congress of the Confederation of the United States, passed July 13, 1787. The ordinance created the Northwest Territory, the first organized territory of the United States, from lands beyond the Appalachian Mountains. -
The Constitutional Convention
he Second Continental Congress also created the first continental-wide system of governance. The Articles of Confederation created a nation of pre-existing states rather than a government over individuals. Thus, the very idea of a Bill of Rights was irrelevant because the Articles did not entail a government over individuals. The states were equally represented in the union regardless of size of population, only one branch was needed, normal political activity required the support of super major
