| A | B |
|---|
| Richard Allen | former slave who started the Free African Society in 1787. |
| Articles of Confederation | set up our countries first central government; |
| Daniel Shays | MA farmer who organized a protest against the |
| Shay’s Rebellion | rebellion of over 1 |
| Northwest Ordinance | law passed in 1787 to provide a way for new territories to become states. |
| Territory | an area of land that belongs to a government |
| Northwest Territory | area including the future states of Indiana |
| Statehood | to become a state when population reaches 60 |
| Constitutional Convention | delegates from 12 states replaced the Articles of Confederation with the Constitution |
| Virginia Plan | James Madison’s plan that established three branches of government |
| Legislative Branch | law-making body of government |
| Executive Branch | headed by the President |
| Judicial Branch | judges that interpret the meaning of laws |
| Supreme Court | the highest court of judges in the U.S. |
| New Jersey Plan | a plan of government favored by small states to keep the same number of representatives as large states |
| Great Compromise | a plan for two separate houses of Congress |
| House of Representatives | the number of a state’s representatives is based on population |
| Senate | each state has two representatives |
| Alexander Hamilton | New York lawyer who invited the delegates to the Constitutional Convention |
| James Madison | “Father of the Constitution |
| George Mason | delegate to the Constitutional Convention |
| Roger Sherman | suggested the “Great Compromise” to the Virginia and New Jersey plans |
| Amendments | additions to the Constitution |
| Preamble | introduction to the Constitution; “We the People.” |
| federal system | states and the central government share power |
| checks and balances | one branch of govt. are balanced by the powers of another |
| veto | the power of the president to refuse or approve a law |
