| A | B |
|---|
| natural rights | life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness |
| Magna Carta | the king (president) must listen to Parliament (Congress) |
| constitution | a set of basic principals and laws that determine the powers of the government |
| republic | a type of government in which the head of state is elected and people hold the political power |
| Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom | did not allow an offical religion |
| suffrage | voting rights |
| Articles of Confederation | our first government; created a central government with limited powers |
| ratification | formal approval |
| tariffs | taxes on imports and exports |
| Spain | closed the lower Mississippi River to U.S. shipping |
| Britain | closed its ports to U.S. ships |
| interstate commerce | trade between two or more states |
| creditors | people who lend money |
| debtors | people who owe money |
| depression | steep drop in economic activity |
| inflation | increase in printed money and the price of goods |
| foreclosure | an indebted person's property is seized |
| Shays's Rebellion | used to close courthouses in Western MA so farmers wouldn't be thrown in jail |
| women, African Americans, American Indians | not invited to the Constitutional Convention |
| Constitutional Convention | a meeting held in Philadelphia to discuss revising the Articles of Confederation |
| Virginia Plan | representation in government based on population |
| New Jersey Plan | representation in government is equal between states |
| Great Compromise | combined both the Virginia Plan and New Jersey Plan |
| Three-Fifths Compromise | a proposed plan on how to count slaves as population |
| federalism | distribution of power between a central government and the states |
| legislative branch | proposes bills and passes them into laws |
| executive branch | enforces laws |
| judicial branch | punishes criminals |
| checks and balances | put into place so no one branch of government can become too strong |
| Antifederalists | those who opposed the Constitution |
| Federalists | those who were fore the Constitution |
| Federalist Papers | a series of essays defending the Constitution |
| amendments | changes to the Constitution |
| Bill of Rights | the first ten amendments to the Constitution |
