Examkin

Question

Difficulty: MediumThe Articles of Confederation and the Northwest Territory

"There shall be reserved the lot No. 16, of every township, for the maintenance of public schools within the said township; also one-third part of all gold, silver, lead and copper mines, to be sold, or otherwise disposed of as Congress shall afterwards direct."
— Land Ordinance of 1785

Which of the following was a primary objective of the Confederation Congress in adopting the policy described in the excerpt?

  1. A
    Implementing a system of direct national taxation to raise revenue and pay off Revolutionary War debts
  2. B
    Establishing a centralized national bank to regulate the currency generated by western trade
  3. Generating federal revenue through land sales while promoting local community developmentAnswer
  4. D
    Creating a federal standing army to secure the frontier and protect mineral resources

Answer

Generating federal revenue through land sales while promoting local community development
The reservation of Section 16 for public schools was designed to encourage public education and local community growth in the newly surveyed territories. Concurrently, the sale of the remaining grid sections provided the financially weak Confederation Congress with a vital source of revenue, as it lacked the power to tax the states or citizens directly.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the source text to identify the core policy being described.
The text describes the reservation of a specific lot (Section 16) for public schools and reservations of mineral rights in western townships under the Land Ordinance of 1785.
To determine the structural and policy goals of the land survey system.
2
Relate the land survey system to the financial and political constraints of the Confederation government.
The government lacked direct taxation powers under the Articles of Confederation and desperately needed revenue to pay off national war debts, while also wanting to encourage orderly westward settlement.
To understand why the Congress established this specific distribution and reservation system.
3
Evaluate the options to find the goal that matches both the revenue need and the community development aspect (the school reservation).
Generating revenue through public land sales while promoting local community building (via school reservation) aligns perfectly with the provisions of the Land Ordinance.
To select the correct historical explanation that matches the document's provisions and context.

Key Concept

The Land Ordinance of 1785 established grid-based division and sale of western lands to generate revenue and encourage orderly settlement under the Articles of Confederation.
Rate this question

Topics

The Articles of Confederation and the Northwest Territory

More questions from this topic