How did the government under the Articles of Confederation handle claims to the area on the map labeled Northwest Territory?
A) It purchased the land from the states with claims and allowed limited settlement.
B) It allowed the states with land claims to trade those for the assumption of their state debts.
C) It set aside the land as a federal area for the Indian tribes who were protected from white settlement.
D) It passed a land ordinance that provided for the land to be surveyed and sold with the revenue going to the federal government.
Answers
Answer:
The Articles envisioned a permanent confederation of states, but granted its Congress—the only federal institution—little power to finance itself or ensure that its resolutions were enforced. They designated no president and no national court, and the central government’s power was kept quite limited. Congress was denied any powers of taxation; it could only request money from the states. The states, in turn, often failed to meet these requests in full, leaving both Congress and the Continental Army chronically short of money. The states and Congress both incurred large debts during the Revolutionary War, and the federal government assumed these debts when some states failed to settle them.
Congress was also denied the power to regulate either foreign trade or interstate commerce. As a result, states maintained control over their own trade policies. By 1787, Congress had become unable to protect manufacturing and shipping. Congress’ inability to encourage commerce and economic development—or to redeem the public obligations (debts) incurred during the war—significantly hindered its power.