John Hancock, President of the Second Continental Congress and a governor of Massachusetts, was the first to sign; he used such a large, bold script that people now speak of a ‘John Hancock’ to mean a signature. Some of the delegates were not in …

The American colonies fought for independence from Great Britain during the American Revolutionary War (1775-1783). After winning their freedom, the former colonies needed to create a new system of government. The first system created was known as the …

The Articles of Confederation created a nation that was "a league of friendship and perpetual union,” but the state governments had most of the power under the Articles, with little power given to the central government. Congress, for example, had to rely …

These infographics are intended for educators and students to support learning about the U.S. Government. They are meant to be presented online and are scalable for optimal viewing across a variety of screen sizes. Branches of Government Infographic ( …

Article I of the document calls the confederation of newly freed colonies “The United States of America.” Ratification, or official approval of the Articles of Confederation, took four years. Virginia was the first state, in 1777, and Maryland was the …