| A | B |
|---|
| Magna Carta | Required British Royalty to obey same laws and limited government power |
| Mayflower Compact | Early attempt at self-government |
| English Bill of Rights | Reduced power of Monarch and influenced writers of the Constitution |
| Great Awakening | Religious movement that changed colonial religion, society, and politics |
| Olive Branch Petition | Colonists attempts at peace with Monarchy but King George refused to listen |
| Thomas Paine | Author of "Common Sense" which stated people had natural right to govern themselves |
| "Taxation Without Representation" | Phrase important to the Revolutionary cause meaning colonists not supportive of government where they had no voice |
| Virginia Statue of Religious Freedom | Written by Thomas Jefferson no person forced to attend church or pay church taxes |
| Northwest Ordinance 1787 | Made education basic right and set a standard for slavery in future territories |
| Declaration of Independence | Condemmed power of the king over the colonies. Limited government power. |
| Articles of Confederation | First national government. Most of power given to the states |
| Weakness of Articles of Confederation | Limited power of federal government over states. Lacked ability to tax. |
| State Representation in the Constitution | Smaller states wanted an equal number. Larger states wanted number based on population |
| Shay's Rebellion | Uprising of MA farmers opposing taxes. Showed weakness in federal government. Led to revison of Articles of Confederation |
| New Jersey Plan | Called for unicameral legislature and equal representation in federal government for all states |
| Virginia Plan | Gave government supreme power and divided government into three branches |
| Great Compromise | Created a bicameral legislature where one house number of representatives was determined by state population and the other house equal representation for every state |
| 3/5 Compromise | Agreement reached by North and South that slaves would be counted as three-fifths a person |
| Federalism | System of government in which powers are shared between national and state governments |
| Federalists | Believed a strong central government was necessary and the rights of many outweighed the individual |
| Anti-Federalists | Believed central government was given too much power |
| Federalist Papers | Essays written by Hamilton, Jay and Madison saying that the government would not overpower the states |
| Powers reserved for federal government | Establish foreign policy |
| Powers reserved for states | Establish and maintain schools |
| Bill of Rights | Added to the Constitution to protect rights of indvidual citizens |
| Checks and Balances | System that divided the powers of government so that no one branch can pose a threat to popular rights. Keeps one branch of government from becoing too powerful. |
| Why has the Constituion and American government lasted over 200 years? | The flexibility of the Constitution to meet the needs of a changing nation. |
