| A | B |
|---|
| Articles of Confederation | The first written plan of government for the United States. |
| Northwest Territory | A region of the United States bounded by the Ohio and Mississippi rivers and the Great Lakes. The region was given to the United States by the Treaty of Paris in 1783. |
| Northwest Ordinance | A law passed by Congress in 1787 that specified how western lands would be governed |
| Constitutional Convention | A meeting held in Philadelphia in 1787 at which delegates from the states wrote the U.S. Constitution |
| Enlightenment | The ÒAge of ReasonÓ in 17th and 18th century Europe. Enlightenment thinkers emphasized using rational thought to discover truths about nature and society. |
| Republic | A country governed by elected representatives |
| Constitution | A written plan that provides the basic framework of a government |
| Great Compromise | The plan of government adopted at the Constitutional Convention that established a two-house Congress. In the House of Representatives, representation from each state if based on state population. In the Senate, each state is represented by two senators. |
| Three-Fifths Compromise | An agreement made at the Constitutional Convention stating how enslaved persons would be counted when determining representation in the House of Representatives |
| Electoral College | The group established by the Constitution to elect the president and vice president. Voters in each state choose their electors. |
| Ratify | To formalls approve a plan or an agreement. |
| The Federalist Papers | A series of essays written by James Madison, Alexander Hamilton and John Jay in support of the ratification of the Constitution by the states |
