| A | B |
|---|
| New Jersy plan | alternative plan to revise the articles of confederation; it kept the one house legislature with one vote for each state |
| James Madison | father of the constitution, wrote the basic plan of gov't adopted by the consititutional convention |
| Federalism | power shared between state, national and local gov't |
| Magna Carta | document signed in 1215, limits power of English monarch |
| three fifths compromise | how enslaved persons could be counted for represenatation and taxes |
| virginia plan | proposal to constitutional convention to create a strong national gov't instead of revising the articles of confederation |
| northwest ordinance | organized the new lands to the west and set up the way a new state could enter the union |
| Shay's rebellion | led by Daniel Shay, rebellion of 1000 farmers forced courts to close in mass. so that judged could not confiscate famer's land as payment for their debt |
| checks and balances | branches of gov't can limit the power of other branches, no single branch becomes too powerful |
| John Locke | English philosopher all persons have natural rights |
| Anti Federalists | Americans oppossed to new constitution |
| Monte squieu | French writer declared powers of gov't should be separated and balanced |
| bill of rights | first 10 amendments to the constitution guarantee basic rights of Americans |
| articles of confederation | first constitution provided a firm league of friendship between states |
| great compromise | Roger Sherman 2 house legislature representation based on state population |
| judicial branch | federal court system of gov't interprets nations laws |
| executive branch | special group of voters selected by state legislatures to vote for pres and v p |
| ordinance | law or regulation |
| amendment | an addition to formal docu. such as constitution |
| article | part of a document, deals with single subject |
| petition | formal request |
| republic | gov't in which citizens rule through elected representatives |
| constitution | formal plan of gov't |
| proportional | to be the same or corresponding to |
| compromise | agreement between 2 or more sides, each side gives up some of what it wants |
| federalist | supporters of the constitution |
| enlightenment | movement of 1700s spread the idea of knowledge, reason and science improving society |
| legislative branch | branch that makes the laws |
| ratify | to give official approval to |
