A) the Mayflower Compact INCORRECT The Mayflower Compact was an agreement signed in 1620 by Pilgrims aboard the Mayflower, establishing a self-governing colony based on majority rule. It was a social contract for the Plymouth Colony, not a national government document. It predates independence and applied only to a small settlement, not the entire nation.
B) the Olive Branch Petition INCORRECT The Olive Branch Petition was a final attempt by the Continental Congress in 1775 to avoid war with Britain, pledging loyalty to King George III while seeking reconciliation. It was not a framework for government but a diplomatic gesture. After the king rejected it, the colonies moved toward independence.
C) the Northwest Ordinance INCORRECT The Northwest Ordinance of 1787 was a law passed under the Articles of Confederation to govern the Northwest Territory and establish a process for admitting new states. While it was significant for territorial expansion and the prohibition of slavery, it was not a document organizing the national government itself.
D) the Articles of Confederation CORRECT The Articles of Confederation were adopted by the Continental Congress in 1777 and ratified in 1781, creating the first national government after independence. It established a loose confederation of states with a weak central government, reflecting the revolutionary fear of centralized power. Its inadequacies led to the Constitutional Convention and the creation of the U.S. Constitution.
