Chapter 5 (Shaping a New Nation) Flashcards
Republic
a government in which the citizens rule through elected representatives.
Republicanism
the belief that government should be based on the consent of the people.
Constitution
the system of beliefs and laws by which a country, state, or organization is governed.
Articles of Confederation
a document, adopted by the Second Continental Congress in 1777 and finally approved by the states in 1781, that outlined the form of government of the new United States.
Confederation
an alliance permitting states or nations to act together on matters of mutual concern.
Land Ordinance of 1785
a law that established a plan for surveying and selling the federally owned lands west of the Appalachian Mountains.
Northwest Ordinance of 1787
a law that established a procedure for the admission of new states to the Union.
What was most serious problem under the Articles of Confederation?
lack of national unity
What was most serious economic problem under the Articles of Confederation?
the huge war debt of $190 million that Congress had amassed during the Revolutionary War.
How many people did a territory have to have before it could apply to become a state?
60,000 free inhabitants
Shays’s Rebellion
an uprising of debt-ridden Massachusetts farmers protesting increased state taxes in 1787.
James Madison
a leader in the call for a convention to amend the Articles of Confederation, proposed the Virginia Plan, also a leader of the Federalists who supported the new Constitution.
Virginia Plan
a proposal by James Madison at the Constitutional Convention in 1787 that called for a bicameral legislature where each state would be represented in each house based on their population.
New Jersey Plan
a proposal by William Paterson at the Constitutional Convention in 1787 that called for a unicameral legislature where each state would be represented equally.
Great Compromise
the Constitutional Convention’s agreement to establish a two-house national legislature, with all states having equal representation in one house and each state having representation based on its population in the other house.
Three-Fifths Compromise
the Constitutional Convention’s agreement to count three-fifths of a state’s slave population for purposes of representation and taxation.
Federalism
a political system in which a national government and constituent units, such as state governments, share power.
Isaiah 33:22
the Bible verse where James Madison got the idea for three branches of government. “For the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord is our king; he will save us.”
Legislative Branch
the branch of government that makes laws.
Executive Branch
the branch of government that administers and enforces the laws.
Judicial Branch
the branch of government that interprets the laws and the Constitution.
Checks and Balances
the provisions in the U.S. Constitution that prevent any branch of the U.S. Government from dominating the other two branches.
Electoral College
a group selected by the states to elect the president and the vice-president, in which each state’s number of electors is equal to the number of its senators and representatives in Congress.
Ratification
the official approval of the Constitution, or of an amendment, by the states. (required at least 9 states)
Federalists
supporters of the Constitution and of a strong national government. (George Washington, James Madison, Alexander Hamilton)
Antifederalists
an opponent of a strong central government. (Patrick Henry, Samuel Adams, Richard Henry Lee)
The Federalist
a series of 85 essays defending and explaining the Constitution, written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay.
What was first state to ratify the Constitution?
Delaware in December 1787
Bill of Rights
the first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution, added in 1791 and consisting of a formal list of citizens’ rights and freedoms.
First Amendment
An amendment added to the U.S. Constitution which guarantees the freedom of religion, speech, press, assembly, and petition.
