A form of government in which the people select representatives to govern them and make laws.; citizens rule through elected officials

A law

To fall or decrease in value or price; to lower the value

Give it up or leave it forever

the nation's first constitution, was adopted by the Second Continental Congress in 1781 during the Revolution. The document was limited because states held most of the power, and Congress lacked the power to tax, regulate trade, or control coinage.

established a procedure for surveying and selling the western lands north of the Ohio River. the new land would be divided into townships 6x6 mi-these would be divided into 36 sections-each sold at public auction for at least $1 per acre

It called for the establishment of three to five states north of the Ohio River and east of the Mississippi River., This ordinance established guidelines for attaining statehood, whereby territories with at least 60,000 people could apply for statehood; if accepted by Congress, the new state would have equal status with other states. Moreover, this ordinance banned slavery north of the Ohio River, thereby guaranteeing future free states in the Midwest.

allowed settlers to buy 320 acres of land for $ 2 an acre; the buyer payed half of the money at the time of purchase, then paid the rest in four yearly payments.

the country's finances collapsed, Congress created a "department of finance" ; he proposed a 5% tax on imported goods to help pay debt; for this to happen, the Articles of Confederation had to give Congress the power to collect the tax... but only 12 out of the 13 states agreed to it (another attempt was tried in 1783, but it also failed)