• Congress surveyed the land into squares 6 miles on each side. (townships)
• Each town was divided into 36 smaller sections, 640 acres each. (the cost was a minimum of $1 per acre)
• People pooled their money in order to be able to afford a piece of land.
Northwest Ordinance (1787)
• When 5,000 free males of voting age settled an area, it became self-governing.
• When the population reached 60,000 free citizens, the area could apply for statehood. Ex.) OH, IN, IL, MI, WI
• Slavery was outlawed.
• Farmer’s income decreased while taxes increased.
• Farmers who could not pay their debts had their farms taken away by the courts.
• Therefore, in 1786, Daniel Shays led a group of farmers in an attempt to capture a federal arsenal.
• The U.S., without an organized army, was powerless. Massachusetts sent a militia to stop the rebellion.
• Shays’ Rebellion convinced many people that the U.S. needed a new, stronger government.
• The Articles of Confederation needed to be replaced!
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