Growth of a New Government Adopted in 1781 as America's first constitution, the Articles of Confederation soon proved inadequate for governing the young nation. By 1787, the United States was in crisis. The states, officially united in a loose...

Confederation Years Successful British settlement of the New World began in 1607 at Jamestown on the coast of present-day Virginia. By the mid-1700s, thirteen colonies, under British control, had been established. They included Massachusetts, Rhode...

Continental Congress Excerpt from "Land Ordinance of 1785" Issued on May 20, 1785, by the Continental Congress Published in Documents of American History, edited by Henry S. Commager, 1943 When Virginia completed the cession, or turning...

Continental Congress Excerpt from "The Northwest Ordinance" Issued on July 13, 1787 Published in Documents of American History, edited by Henry S. Commager, 1943 On July 13, 1787, Congress passed the Northwest Ordinance, a detailed...

The Continental Congress was the first de facto national government of the United States. It was a provisional government without a legal basis and was completely dependent on the colonies for political direction, funding and other resources. It...

A timeline tracking the bald eagle's history, from its brush with extinction to its recovery._ Pre-1776: The number of bald eagles in North America is believed to total more than 250,000; they inhabit virtually ever large river, lake or estuary region on the continent._ 1782:...

The United States has picked Annapolis, Md., as the expected site of a Mideast peace conference this fall that President Bush hopes will launch new negotiations toward establishing an independent Palestinian state, The Associated Press has learned.The small city about 30 miles northeast of Washington...

If there is such a thing as immortality, it may be having people gather to celebrate your 250th birthday.Alexander Hamilton met that standard on Thursday, as a group of descendants, along with latter-day admirers, convened to mark the anniversary of his birth in 1757.The setting...

The handwritten speech George Washington held as he resigned from the Continental Army in 1783 was unveiled during a special Presidents Day ceremony celebrating Maryland's acquisition of the document.Washington's personal copy of the speech _ considered a landmark in American history for establishing military subservience...