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Difficulty: MediumThe Articles of Confederation and the Northwest Territory

Article 3 of the Northwest Ordinance of 1787 stated:

"The utmost good faith shall always be observed towards the Indians; their lands and property shall never be taken from them without their consent; and, in their property, rights, and liberty, they shall never be invaded or disturbed, unless in just and lawful wars authorized by Congress..."

Which of the following historical developments in the late eighteenth century best illustrates a contradiction to the policy described in the excerpt?

  1. A
    The efforts by individual state governments to raise independent armies to conquer western lands because the Articles of Confederation prohibited a national army.
  2. B
    The formation of formal political alliances between Democratic-Republicans and trans-Appalachian tribes to block Federalist treaties.
  3. The United States government's military campaigns against the Western Confederacy, leading to the forced cession of land in the Treaty of Greenville.Answer
  4. D
    The outbreak of Shays' Rebellion, which was triggered by violent tax disputes between Native Americans and Massachusetts authorities.

Answer

The United States government's military campaigns against the Western Confederacy, leading to the forced cession of land in the Treaty of Greenville.
The correct answer is correct because while the Northwest Ordinance of 1787 promised that the 'utmost good faith' would be observed toward Native Americans and that their land would not be taken without consent, the actual expansion of the United States in the 1790s involved extensive military conflict. The federal government deployed troops to defeat the Western Confederacy of Native tribes in the Northwest Indian War. Following their defeat at the Battle of Fallen Timbers, the tribes were forced to sign the Treaty of Greenville (1795), ceding vast amounts of land in the Ohio Country to the United States.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the primary source excerpt from the Northwest Ordinance of 1787.
The excerpt establishes an official policy of protecting Native American land and rights, stating that their property would not be taken without consent.
Understanding the stated intent of the federal policy toward Native Americans in the Northwest Territory is necessary to identify historical contradictions.
2
Identify the actual historical events that transpired in the Northwest Territory during the late eighteenth century.
White settlers continued to move onto Native lands in the Ohio Valley, leading to conflict with the Western Confederacy. The federal government intervened militarily, resulting in the Battle of Fallen Timbers and the Treaty of Greenville.
Comparing the idealized policy of the ordinance with the actual military and diplomatic outcomes allows for the identification of a contradiction.
3
Evaluate the options to find the development that represents a clear contradiction to the policy of not taking land without consent.
The Treaty of Greenville forced Native Americans to cede most of present-day Ohio to the United States government after military defeat, directly contradicting the promise of 'utmost good faith' and non-invasion.
This establishes the correct option by matching the historical reality with the conceptual contradiction.

Key Concept

The contradiction between federal policies regarding Native Americans in the Northwest Territory and the reality of military conflict and land cession.
Estimated Time:1m 30s
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Topics

The Articles of Confederation and the Northwest Territory

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