Founding of the nation Lesson 1 Flashcards
Enlightenment
- Age of reason
* Time when people started using observation & science to determine how things work
Declaration of Independence
• America’s letter telling England that we were going to start our own country
Natural Rights
- Life, Liberty, and Property
* Enlightenment idea
Social Contract
- Governments are created to protect Natural Rights, if they don’t, people can start a new government
- Enlightenment Idea
Sovereignty
• The right to rule
Popular Sovereignty
- The right to rule comes from the people
* Synonym–Democracy
Grievance
• A reason for a complaint
Northwest Ordinance
- Document created to govern the Northwest Territory
* Established several precedents for the US Constitution
Territory
• A piece of land that is controlled by the U.S , but not a state
Northwest Territory
- Big piece of land that the US acquired after the revolution
- What is now Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan.
Bill of Rights
- List of protections from the government written into the US constitution.
- 1st 10 amendments to the US constitution
Amendment
- A change to a written document
* There are 27 Amendments to the U.S. Constitution
13th Amendment
• Ended slavery
Constitution
• A list of what the Government can and cannot do
Democracy
- Government run by the people
* Based on majority rule
Republic
• Democracy where elected officials make decisions on
behalf of the people
Republicanism
- Representative democracy
* Form of Government the U.S. has
Monarchy
• Government ran by a King or Queen
Articles of Confederation
- America’s first Constitution
* Failed because federal government was too weak
Provision
• A condition or requirement in a legal document
Legislate
• To make laws
Federal Government
• National Government ( over entire country )
Federalism
• National & state governments share power
Federalists
- Supporters of the U.S. Constitution
* Didn’t want a bill of rights