A More Perfect Union

Constitution

• A formal plan of government

Legislature

• a group of people with the power to make, change, or repeal laws for a state or country

Bicameral

• a legislature consisting of two houses, or chambers

Republic

• a government in which citizen’s rule through elected representatives

Articles of Confederation

• The first constitution of the United States

Weaknesses of the Articles

• Could not regulate trade• Could not force citizens to join the army• Could not deal with the nation’s finances• Could not impose taxes• Did not have an established leader

Petition

• A formal request

Confederation Congress

• American Congress under the Articles of Confederation

• Established an arrangement for handling new states in the west

Ordinance

• A law or regulation

Northwest Territory

• Territory established by the Confederation Congress of all the land north of the Ohio River and east of the Mississippi River

Depreciate

• To fall in value

Depression

• A period of low economic activity and wide spread unemployment

Shay’s Rebellion

• A pair of civilian attacks led by Daniel Shays on a court house and a federal arsenal

• Forced courts to close so they could not confiscate the land of farmers

• Helped point out that the newly formed government needed to be improved

Quakers

• Created the first antislavery organization in America

Manumission

• The freeing of individual enslaved persons

Constitutional Convention

• a meeting of state delegates in 1787 leading to the adoption of a new Constitution

Constitutional Convention

• Every state except Rhode Island sent delegates to fix the flaws of the Articles of Confederation.

• Rhode Island opposed a stronger central government and did not attend the Convention

• Meeting took place in Philadelphia at the Independence Hall

• George Washington unanimously selected to preside over the convention

Constitutional Convention (continued)

• Patrick Henry was elected as a delegate, but he opposed the Convention and did not attend

• Ben Franklin, 81, was the oldest delegate at the convention

• Thomas Jefferson did not attend because he was in Europe representing the American government

James Madison

• Convention was secret, so there is no official record of the things discussed.

• Most information from the meeting comes from James Madison’s notebook of daily events.

• Known as the “Father of the Constitution” since it was his basic plan for government that the convention used

Proportional

• To be the same as or corresponding to

Virginia Plan

• designed by James Madison called for a legislature with two houses with representation in each house based on population and an executive and judicial branch selected by the legislature

• Larger states liked this plan• Smaller states felt it would ignore their

interests

New Jersey Plan

• Proposed by William Patterson• called for a single legislative house with equal

representation for each state.• Smaller states liked this plan• Larger states felt they should have more

power than the smaller ones

Compromise

• An agreement between two or more sides in which each side gives up some of what it wants

Great Compromise

• Headed by Roger Sherman• Agreement providing a dual system of congressional

representation• Broke a deadlock between the large and small states• Senate representation would be equal for each state

(New Jersey Plan); this pleased the small states • House of Representatives representation would be

based on population (Virginia Plan); this pleased the large states

Three-fifths Compromise

• Agreement providing the amount that enslaved persons would count as in determining representation in Congress

George Mason

• Proposed a bill of rights during the Constitutional Convention

• He and other delegates feared the new government might abuse its power without one

• The proposal was defeated

Magna Carta

• Placed limits on the power of the monarch• The king had to rely on Parliament to pay for

wars and fund the royal government

Parliament

• England’s lawmaking body, or legislature

Enlightenment

• A movement in the 1700’s that promoted knowledge, reason, and science as the means to improve society

John Locke

• English philosopher who influenced the Framers of the Constitution

• Believed all people have natural rights• Believed that government is based on a

contract between the people and the ruler

Natural Rights

• Life, liberty and property

Baron de Montesquieu

• French philosopher who influenced the Framers of the Constitution

• Believed that the powers of the government should be separated and balanced against each other

Federalism

• Sharing of power between federal and state governments

Federal Powers Under the Constitution

(Expressed Powers)

• Tax the entire nation• Regulate national and international trade• Control national currency• Raise an army• Declare war• Pass laws “necessary and proper” to carry out

responsibilities

State Powers Under the Constitution

(Reserved Powers)

• Regulate trade within state borders• Establish local governments and schools• Collect taxes within the state

Legislative Branch

• Defined in Article I of the Constitution• The law making branch of the government• Called Congress• Consists of the House of Representatives (like

the Virginia Plan) and the Senate (like the New Jersey Plan)

Executive Branch

• Defined in Article II of the Constitution• The branch of government that carries out the

laws• Headed by the President

Electoral College

• A special group of voters selected by their state’s voters to vote for the president and vice president

Judicial Branch

• Defined in Article III of the Constitution• The branch of government that interprets the

nation’s laws• Headed by the Supreme Court

Checks and Balances

• System of government where each branch is able to restrain the power of the other two branches

Ratify

• To approve

Federalists

• Supporters of the Constitution

The Federalist Papers

• A book, using a series of essays written by James Madison, Alexander Hamilton and John Jay supporting the Constitution

Antifederalists

• People who opposed the Constitution

Amendment

• An addition to a formal document

Bill of Rights

• First 10 amendments to the Constitution

State Ratification

• Delaware was the first state to ratify the Constitution

• Rhode Island was the last state to ratify the Constitution