| A | B |
|---|
| Antifederalists | opponent of a strong central government |
| Articles of Confederation | first Constitution of the United States |
| Bill of Rights | first ten amendments of the U.S. Constitution |
| checks and balances | provisions in the U.S. Constitution that prevents one branch from being too powerful |
| Common Sense | written by Paine, called for separation of the colonies from Britain |
| Declaration of Independence | written by Jefferson, declares colonie's independence |
| electoral college | a group selected by the states to elect the president and the vice-president |
| executive branch | branch of government that enforces the laws |
| federalism | political system in which a national government and state governmetns share power |
| Federalists | supporters of the Constitution and of a strong national government |
| Great Compromise | constutional convention's agreement to establish a 2 house legislature |
| James Madison | father of the Constitution |
| judicial branch | the branch of government that interprets the laws and the Constitution |
| Northwest Ordinance of 1787 | law that established a procedure for the admission of news states to the Union |
| legislative branch | branch of the government that makes the laws |
| Loyalists | colonists who stayed loyal to Britain |
| Patriots | colonists who desired independence from Britain |
| Ratification | official approval of the Constitution, or an amendment by the states |
| republicanism | belief that government should based on consent of the people |
| Roger Sherman | author of the Great Compromise |
| Saratoga | turning point battle of the Revolutionary War |
| Second Continental Congress | served as the national government during the Revolutionary War |
| Shay's Rebellion | an uprising of debt-ridden Massachusetts farmers protesting a tax hike |
| The Federalist Papers | a series of essays defending the Constitution written by Hamilton, Madison and Jay |
| Thomas Jefferson | author of the Declaration of Independence |
| Three-Fifths Compromise | the agreement to count 3/5 of a state's slaves as population for representation |
| Treaty of Paris 1783 | treat that ended the Revolutionary War |
| Trenton | battle where Washington crossed the Delaware on Christmas night |
| Yorktown | battle that ended the Revolutionary War |
