Articles of Confederation to the U.S. Constitution
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39 terms
Terms | Definitions |
|---|---|
 Constitution | a formal plan of government |
| Bicameral | consisting of two houses, or chambers, especially in a legislature |
| Republic | a government in which citizens rule through elected representatives |
| Petition | a formal request |
| Ordinance | a law of regulation |
| Depreciate | to fall in value |
| Depression | a period of low economic activity and widespread unemployment |
| Manumission | the freeing of some enslaved persons |
| Proportional | to be the same as or corresponding to |
| Compromise | agreement between two or more sides in which each side gives up some of what it wants |
| Federalism | the sharing of power between the federal and state governments |
| Article | a part of a document, such as the Constitution, that deals with a certain subject |
| Legislative Branch | the branch of government that makes the nation's laws |
| Executive Branch | the branch of government, headed by the president, that carries out the nation's laws and policies |
| Electoral College | a special group of voters selected by their state's voters to vote for the president and vice president |
| Checks and Balances | the system in which each branch of government has a check on the other two branches so that no one branch becomes too powerful |
| Ratify | to give official approval to |
| Federalists | supporters of the Constitution |
| Anti-Federalists | individuals who opposed the ratification of the Constitution |
| Amendment | an addition to a formal document such as the Constitution |
| Enlightenment | movement during the 1700s that spread the idea that knowledge, reason, and science could improve society |
| Judicial Branch | the branch of government, including the federal court system, that interprets the nation's laws |
| Robert Morris | imposed a 5% tax on imported goods to help the nation pay off its debt |
| William Paterson | presented a plan where there was a 1 house legislature where there was 1 member per state; congress can tax and regulate trade |
| Daniel Shay | was a fomer Continental Army captain; lead a group of angry farmers; they were angry because their land was taken away and they were pit in jail since they couldn't pay of their debts |
| Thomas Jefferson | thought of plan that divided the western territory into self-governing districts |
| Richard Henry Lee | the president of congress; urged that "the rights of property be clearly defined" by the government in the Ordinance of 1785 so Congress drafted another ordinance to protect the interests of hard-working settlers |
| John Adams | was sent to London to discuss with Britain their trade policies and promises they made in the Treaty of Paris |
| John Jay | the American secretary of foreign affairs; stated that Americans thought that God had created the Mississippi River to be a highway for the people to travel on; Federalist |
| James Madison | a Virginia planter; active in the movement for change in the Articles of Confederation; often called The Father of the Constitution because he was the author of the basic plan of government that Congress adopted; Federalist |
| Alexander Hamilton | a New York lawyer; called a meeting to discuss trade issues; also suggested that the convention needed to consider changing the Articles of Confederation; Federalist |
| Edmund Randolph | introduced the Virginia Plan; the plan called for a two house legislature where the # of seats was proportionate to the population of the state; refused to sign the Constitution |
| Roger Sherman | from Connecticut; proposed the Great Compromise; it proposed a 2 house legislature, The House of Representatives and The Senate; in The House of Representatives the number of seats was proportionate to the population and in the Senate, each state would have two members |
| George Mason | proposed a bill of rights to be included in the Constitution to protect the citizens' individual rights |
| John Locke | important philosopher; believed all people have natural rights to life, liberty, and property |
| Baron de Montesquieu | declared that the powers of government should be separated and balanced against each other |
| Patrick Henry | gave fiery speeches against the Constitution; he said it did not limit the powers of government; Antifederalist |
| George Washington | agreed that the country needed a stronger government; at first, not enthusiastic about revising the Articles of Confederation but when he heard of Shay's Rebellion, he changed his mind; presided over meetings |
| Benjamin Franklin | over 80 when convention began; his present ensured that many people would trust the Convention's work |
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