| A | B |
|---|
| Articles of confederation | America’s first constitution; set up a loose union of individual states |
| Northwest Ordinance | a 1787 article that set up a government for the Northwest Territory, guaranteed basic rights to settlers, and outlawed slavery there |
| Unalienable Rights | rights that can’t be taken away |
| Shays’ Rebellion | an uprising led by Daniel Shays after being unable to pay taxes because of lower crop prices |
| Federalist | Supporter of the Constitution and a strong federal government |
| Anti-Federalist | One who was against a strong federal government; believed most decisions should be made by the states |
| Federalist Papers | series of essays by James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and John Jay in support of ratifying the Constitution |
| US Constitution | Rulebook for the US government; written in 1787 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| Bill of Rights | first 10 amendments to the US Constitution; lists freedoms that a government promises to protect |
| Preamble | the introduction to the US Constitution |
| Ratify | to approve |
| Representative Government | system where people elect delegates to run the government |
| 3/5th Compromise | agreement at the Constitutional Convention that three fifths of the slaves in any state be counted in its population |
| Great Compromise | plan at the Constitutional Convention that settled the differences between large and small states |
| Washington’s Farewell Address | He warned against making alliances with foreign countries and set a precedent for serving only two terms |
