The Articles of Confederation were the first official government of the United States. It created a united group of state governments held together by a loose and weak federal government. In theory, the federal government retained the power to declare war, borrow money, and communicate with Native American people. It was the government's responsibility to settle state disputes and make treaties, but it lacked the means to enforce these rules, which led to competition and discontent among the states. The primary power of lawmaking was left to the states. The Northwest Ordinance of 1787 dealt with the creation of new states within the Northwest Territory, but the Ordinance's order to protect Native American lands and rights was wholly ignored by federal and state governments. It declared the abolition of slavery in the Northwest Territory and any states to come, the freedom of religion, and a right to a trial by jury. It also specifically laid out the legal path to statehood.