1783-1800: New Government Flashcards
the first national government of the United States; created by the Second Continental Congress in 1776; replaced by the Constitution in 1787.
Articles of Confederation
weak central government; could not levy taxes; inability to deal with national problems (uprisings, rebellions, economics, etc.), could not pay national debts
Articles of Confederation (problems)
unicameral congress (one chamber); no executive branch; no court system; 9 of 13 votes needed to pass laws; one vote per state
Articles of Confederation (structure)
set up a system for surveying and selling land in the Northwest in plots of land; established land in each area for public schools
Land Ordinance of 1785
system that was established for new states to enter the union; when a territory reached 60,000+ residents; banned slavery in the Northwest Territories
Northwest Ordinance of 1787
post-Revolution uprising of farmers in western Massachusetts;
Shay’s Rebellion
demanded lower taxes; end foreclosures; end imprisonment for debts; end paper currency
Shay’s Rebellion (demands)
proposal to create a bicameral legislature; states should be represented based on population; three branches of government; large states supported
Virginia Plan
proposal that each state be represented equally, not on population; small states supported
New Jersey Plan
agreement of large and small state proposals for the U.S. government’s organization; combined VA and NJ plans
Great Compromise
large chamber of the U.S. Congress; based on population; start of all budget legislation; “junior” chamber
House of Representatives
smaller chamber of the U.S. Congress; equal representation– two for each state; “senior chamber”
Senate
allowed a state to count three-fifths of a state’s slave population in determining political representation in the House of Representatives.
3/5 Compromise
early supporters of the Constitution and strong central government; Alexander Hamilton; John Adams
Federalists
favored state governments having more power; advocated for a Bill of Rights; supported by lower classes
Anti-Federalists
essays written to support the ratification of the Constitution; cited economic and political reasons
Federalist Papers
first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution; all U.S. citizens are entitled to these free speech and criminal freedoms.
Bill of Rights
created by Alexander Hamilton; absorbed all state’s debt from the Revolutionary War; helped the new U.S. government borrow from and loan money to other nations
National Bank
any duty on manufactured goods which is levied at the moment of manufacture, rather than at sale; Washington’s administration used these on whiskey and other goods.
excise taxes
far-reaching social and political upheaval in France and its colonies; 1789-1799; violent; divided American Federalists and Anti-Federalists
French Revolution
a formal announcement issued by President Washington in 1793 that declared the nation neutral in the conflict between France and Great Britain; threatened legal proceedings against any American providing assistance to any country at war.
Proclamation of Neutrality
1794; agreement that lessened hostilities between the United States and Great Britain; established ten years of peaceful trade between the two nations; made the Federalists/Anti-Federalists more divided
Jay Treaty
protest in the United States beginning in 1791 and ending in 1794 during the presidency of George Washington; based on excise taxes placed on whiskey; farmers and merchants in the western territories; first instance for the national government to display its authority
Whiskey Rebellion
final statement from President Washington; called for neutrality approach to foreign policy; advocated for a disbanding of political parties; established a precedent for U.S. presidents to serve two terms.
Washington’s Farewell Address
