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 The Formation of a Confederation

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

● The Thirteen Colonies

● After the Declaration
● State Constitution
● Forming of a Confederation
● States and Land Claims
● Articles of Confederation
Let’s know more about
FACT FILE The Formation of a
Confederation!

In 1776, the thirteen colonies in

America became free, independent
states and formed a nation. All states
had to ratify the Articles of
Confederation unanimously for the
Union to be formed. The Articles
placed emphasis on the independence
of the states with limited powers to
the national government. However, the
Articles failed to fully protect the
rights and interests of the people.
Thus, with the Shays’ Rebellion serving
as a catalyst to establish a
Constitutional Convention to review
the existing Constitution, a resolution
was later passed to discard the
Articles of Confederation.
Page I of the Articles of Confederation
THE THIRTEEN COLONIES
Colonial America particularly refers
to the English colonies along the
Eastern seaboard. When
Englishmen began to establish
colonies in the American continent,
thirteen colonies began to come
together to form the United States.
The Three Regions: New England Colonies
Colonies: Connecticut, Rhode Island,
Massachusetts and New Hampshire
Map of the Thirteen Colonies
The Three Regions: Middle Colonies
King Charles II gave the territory between
New England and Virginia to his brother
James, the Duke of York, in 1664.
These colonies were: New
Hampshire, Massachusetts,
Connecticut, Rhode Island, New
York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania,
Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North
Carolina, South Carolina and
Georgia.
What would later become
the New England Colonies
were a small group of
Puritan separatists (later
called Pilgrims) who arrived
in Plymouth in 1620 to
create the Plymouth Colony.
Puritans were those who left
England for America on the
Mayflower. After ten years,
the Massachusetts Bay
Company sent a larger and
more liberal group of
Puritans to establish
another Massachusetts
settlement, which eventually
prospered. As the
Massachusetts settlements
expanded, new colonies
were formed in New
England.
Colonies: Delaware,
Pennsylvania, New Jersey
and New York
 THINK ABOUT THIS! ACTIVITIES FOR AGES 11-14

TRUE OR FALSE. Read each statement and identify if they are true or
1 false.

a. The geography and climate of the thirteen colonies separated them

into four different regions.
b. In 1776, the thirteen colonies in America became free, sovereign
states and were now faced with the enormous challenge of forming a
nation.
c. Virginia’s bill of rights was adopted as a model for the other states as
it outlined a declaration of values.
d. A committee headed by Thomas Paine prepared a draft national
constitution called ‘Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union’.
e. On 13 July 1763, Congress approved the Northwest Ordinance, which
provided for the swift and systematic expansion of the United States.

Note: Use a separate sheet of paper for your answer where necessary
 THINK ABOUT THIS! ACTIVITIES FOR AGES 14-16

INFERENCE. Why did former generals and lesser officers of the

Revolution strongly support the creation of a strong federal
1 government in the 1780s? Infer on the text in Source A to justify your
answer.

SOURCE A:
“The army had nearly disbanded on several occasions during the winters of
the war because of the weaknesses of the Continental Congress… The
delegates could not draft soldiers and had to send requests for regular
troops and militia to the states. Congress had the right to order the
production and purchase of provisions for the soldiers, but could not force
anyone to supply them, and the army nearly starved in several winters of
war.”

- Glenn A Phelps, The Republican General, 2001

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