| A | B |
|---|
| constitution | document stating the rules under which a government will operate |
| state constitutions following 1776 | limited power to governors; gave most power to state legislatures |
| executive | person who runs the government and sees that laws are carried out |
| Virginia | first state to include bill of rights to protect individual rights (freedom of religion; protection against cruel and unusual punishment) |
| Articles of Confederation | adopted in 1777; limited central government and gave most power to states; had one house legislature |
| What were some powers that the government had when the Articles of Confederation was our constitution? | The government could make treaties with foreign nations and with Native Americans. The government could make laws but couldn't enforce them. The governemnt could declare war, but since they couldn't require taxes, the governement couldn't maintain a military. |
| Land Ordinance of 1785 | system for land sales and settlements |
| Northwest Ordinance of 1787 | created three-step process for admitting new states: Congress appointed governor, secretary, and judges; 2) once the territory had 5,000 free adult male settlers, it could elect a legislature; 3) when it reached 60,000 population, could ask to become a state; denied slavery |
| States created by Northwest Ordinance | Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin |
| Economic Problems with Articles of Confederation | 1) Each state set its own trade policy, making it difficult for states to trade; 2) each state printed its own money; 3) central government couldn't tax |
| Foreign Affairs Problems with Articles of Confederation | Powerful nations didn't respect it. Ex: Spain refused to let Americans trade down the Mississippi, requiring them to go over and around the Appalachian Mountains |
| Shays' Rebellion | Depression in 1780s made it hard for farmers to pay taxes; MA legislature seized property and didn't help them; Daniel Shays and 1,000 farmers tried to seize arms from state warehouse. This alarmed many and led to belief that we needed stronger central government to help control unrest. |
| Constitutional Convention | 1787 in Philadelphia; intended to revise Articles of Confederation; goal: to create stronger central government and still allow states' rights |
| Virginia Plan | proposed by James Madison; called for strong central government with two house legislature all based on population; large states liked it; small states didn't |
| New Jersey Plan | Each state would get one vote, because we're a nation of states. Big states said No Way! |
| Great Compromise | Roger Sherman's idea: two house Congress, with the House of Representatives based on population and the Senate with two states each |
| 3/5th Compromise | Counted each person who was a slave as three fifths of a free person. A gain for the South, giving them more seats in the House of Representatives. It made slavery a more permanent part of the US government. |
| Slavery Compromise of the Convention | Ships would be allowed to bring slaves for 20 years; after 1808, Congress would ban transportation of slaves into states, but trade within states would not be affected. |
| Roger Sherman | He proposed the Great Compromise/Connecticut Compromise, which called for a bicameral Congress. |
| Federalist Papers authors | James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, John Jay |
| Federalists | wanted stronger central government |
| anti-Federalists | afraid Constitution would weaken states' rights; concerned the Constitution had no Bill of Rights |
| Patrick Henry | from Virginia; feared there would be no checks and balances |
| Bill of Rights | passed in 1789; first ten amendments to Constitution; individual rights aimed at protecting people from abuses by federal government |
| Northwest Territory | Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin |
| checks and balances | a system that ensured that no branch of government --- executive, judicial, or legislative --- would have too much power |
| Daniel Shays | a farmer in Massachusetts who had fought in the Revolutionary War. He led a large group to raid the state arsenal in an attempt to prevent the government from taking their land. |
| Consequence of Shays' Rebellion | This event made many realize that the government under the Articles of Confederation was too weak to manage the people. |
