The reason the Articles of Confederation developed a unicameral legislative branch and no executive or judicial branch was because they feared that if too much authority was given to a centralized body of government, it would lead to tyranny and despotism. Since Congress effectively had national control over the lands west of the thirteen states, immediately after independence, Congress took the position that by aiding the British, Indians would lose the right to their lands. However, Congress faced conflicting pressures from settlers and land speculators regarding western development. Once peace was established in the United States, settlements quickly spread across the border areas. Therefore, many leaders feared that the unregulated movement of settlements across the Appalachian Mountains would spark constant warfare with the Indians. Another reason the Articles of Confederation were accepted at the time was the land ordinances. The Ordinance of 1784 established stages of self-government for the West and "Jefferson proposed that new territories be incorporated into the union as states on an equal footing with the original thirteen" (Keene, Cornell , O'Donnell 140). Furthermore, the ordinance of 1785 regulated land sales in