| A | B |
|---|
| ratify /ratification | formal approval of the Constitution |
| the "father of the Constitution" | James Madison |
| authors of the Federalist Papers | James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, John Jay |
| they opposed the new Constitution | anti-federalists |
| constitution | a written plan of government |
| a list of rights guaranteed to citizens | Bill of Rights |
| first amendment | protects freedom of religion, speech, press, assembly, and petition |
| What the anti-federalists believed | new Constitution was too powerful; it was designed only to help the powerful at the expense of regular people; the convention had no right to get rid of the Articles of Confederation and to create a whole new plan of government |
| president of the Constitutional Convention | George Washington |
| how many states had to ratify the Constitution for it to go into effect | nine |
| an important rule in effect during the convention | secrecy |
| large state plan | representation would be based on population; more people= more representatives |
| Virginia Plan | also known as the large state plan |
| New Jersey plan | also known as the small state plan |
| small state plan | representation equal for each state |
| Great Compromise | representation in the House of Representatives based on population; two representatives (senators) per state in the Senate |
| the name of the legislative branch of the United States government | Congress |
| two "houses" of Congress | House of Representatives and the Senate |
| the leader of the executive branch of the government | President |
| judicial branch | the court system of the United States |
| power is balanced between the three branches of government by each branch being able to limit the powers of the other branch in some way | checks and balances system |
| free press | media that is unrestricted by the government |
| which region of the United States had slavery | southern states |
| republic | government by elected representatives of the people |
| the newspaper publisher put in jail for criticizing the British government | John Peter Zenger |
