The Constitution Section 2 Flashcards
To study
Crispus attacks
an American stevedore of African and Native American descent, widely regarded as the first person killed in the Boston massacre and thus the first American killed in the American Revolution.
Critical period
refers to the 1780’s, a time right after the American Revolution where the future of the newly formed nation was in the balance; large amounts of debt, high taxes, foreign affairs, domestic issues, and military concerns were some of the problems Americans faced shortly after the Revolution; these concerns prompted calls for a more vigorous national government that eventually resulted in the Constitution in 1787
Declaration of Independence
The document approved by representatives of the American colonies in 1776 that stated their grievances against the British monarch and declared their independence. Link to: Locke’s natural rights.
Electoral college
a body of individuals which elect the President and Vice President of the United States. The Constitution created this body, which consists of gatherings of state electors in each state to formally cast their ballots for a candidate for whom they have pledged to vote.
Enumerated powers
17 specific powers granted to Congress under article 1, sec 8 - these powers include: coinage of money, regulate commerce, and provide a national defense
Federalism
the philosophy that describes the governmental system created by the framers- a system that divides up power between a strong national government and smaller local governments
Federalists
Supporters of the U.S. Constitution at the time the states were contemplating its adoption.
The Federalist papers
Written by Hamilton, Jay, & Madison to support ratification of the U.S. Constitution
First Contential Congress
was comprised of delegates from the colonies, met in 1774 in reaction to the Coercive Acts, a series of measures imposed by the British government on the colonies in response to their resistance to new taxes.
French & Indian war
Was a war fought by French and English on American soil over control of the Ohio River Valley– English defeated French in 1763. Began to gradually change attitudes of the colonists toward England for the worse because Brits wouldn’t let colonist move west in order no too spend more money for defense.
Full Faith & Credit clause
Constitution’s requirement that each state accept the public acts, records, and judicial proceedings of every other state
George Washington
considered the “Father of the Nation,” he was the commander of the revolutionary armies; served as the presiding officer of the Constitutional Convention; and as the United States’ first president from 1789 to 1797
Great compromise
the final decision of the Constitutional Convention to create a two-house legislature, with the lower house elected by the people and powers divided between the two houses; also made national law supreme
Implied powers
the powers of the national government derived from the enumerated powers and the necessary and proper clause
Inherent powers
powers that belong to the president because they can be inferred from the Constitution
James Madison
a key Framer often called the “Father of the Constitution” for his role in conceptualizing the federal government. Co-authored “The Federalist Papers”; served as secretary of state; served as the fourth U.S. president from 1809 to 1817
John Jay
a member of the Founding generation who was the first Chief of Justice of the United States. A diplomat and co-author of “The Federalist Papers”
Lexington & Concord
the first sites of armed conflict between revolutionaries and British soldiers, remembered for the “shot heard round the world” in 1775
Mercantilism
an economic theory designed to increase a nation’s wealth through the development of commercial industry and a favorable balance of trade
Montesquieu
french baron and political theorist who first articulated the concept of separation of powers with checks and balances
Necessary & Proper Clause
the final paragraph of Article I , section 8, of the Constitution, which gives Congress the authority to pass all laws “necessary and proper” to carry out the enumerated powers specified in the Constitution; also called the elastic clause
New Jersey plan
a framework for the Constitution proposed by a group of small states; it called for a one-house legislature with one vote for each state, a Congress with the ability to raise revenue, and a Supreme Court appointed for life
New world
the western hemisphere of earth, also called the Americas, which was unknown to Europeans before 1492
Political Culture
Commonly shared attitudes, behaviors, and core values about how a government should operate
Samuel Adams
Cousin of President John Adams and an early leader against the British and loyalist oppressors; he played a key role in developing the Committees of Correspondence and was active in Massachusetts and colonial politics
Second Contential Congress
meeting that convened in Philadelphia on May 10, 1775, at which it was decided that an army should be raised and George Washington of Virginia was named commander in chief
Separation of Powers
a way of dividing the power of government among the legislative, executive, and judicial branches, each staffed separately, with equality and independence of each branch ensured by the Constitution
Shay’s Rebellion
a rebellion in which an army of 1.500 disgruntled and angry farmers led by Daniel Shay marched to Springfield, Massachusetts, and a forcible restrained the state court from foreclosing mortgages on their farms
Social Contract theory
the belief that governments exist based on the consent of the governed
Sons & Daughters of Liberty
Loosely organized groups of patriotic American colonists who were early revolutionaries
Stamp act congress
a gathering of nine colonial representatives in 1765 in New York City where a detailed list of Crown violations was drafted; first official step toward creating a unified nation
Supremacy Clause
Portion of Article VI of the Constitution mandating that national law is supreme over (that is, supersedes) all other laws passed by the states or by any other subdivision of government
Thomas Jefferson
Principle drafter of the Declaration of Independence; second vice president of the United States; third president of the United Sates, from 1801 to 1809. Co-founder of the Democratic-Republican Party created to oppose Federalists
Thomas Paine
the influential writer of Common Sense, a pamphlet that advocated for independence from Great Britain
3/5ths Compromise
An agreement reached at the Constitutional Convention stipulating that three-fifths of the total slave population of each state was to be for purposes of determining population for representation in the U.S House of Representatives
Virginia plan
a proposed framework for the Constitution favoring large states. It called for a bicameral legislature, which would appoint executive and judicial officers
Alexander hamilton
Alexander Hamilton was an American statesman and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. He was an influential interpreter and promoter of the U.S. Constitution, as well as the founder of the nation’s financial system, the Federalist Party, the United States Coast Guard, and the New York Post newspaper
anti-federalists
Anti-Federalism refers to a movement that opposed the creation of a stronger U.S. federal government and which later opposed the ratification of the 1787 Constitution. The previous constitution, called the Articles of Confederation, gave state governments more authority.
Article I
Article One of the United States Constitution establishes the legislative branch of the federal government, the United States Congress. The Congress is a bicameral legislature consisting of a House of Representatives and a Senate.
Article II
United States constitution is the section that makes the executive branch of the government. The executive branch of the government is the branch that has the responsibility and authority for the administration throughout the day of the state.
Article III
The const. establishes and empowers the judicial branch of the national government
Article IV
The united states shall guarantee to every state in this union a republican form of government and shall project each of them against invasion and on application of the legislature or of the executive against domestic violenece
Article V
Constitution describes the process whereby the constitution the nations frame of government may be altered. Altering the constitution consist of proposing an amendment or amendments and subsequent ratification
Article VI
Article Six of the United States Constitution establishes the laws and treaties of the United States made in accordance with it as the supreme law of the land, forbids a religious test as a requirement
Articles of Confederation
the original constitution of the US, ratified in 1781, which was replaced by the US Constitution in 1789.
Benjamin Franklin
printer whose success as an author led him to take up politics; he helped draw up the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution; he played a major role in the American Revolution and negotiated French support for the colonists; as a scientist he is remembered particularly for his research in electricity
Bill of rights
the first ten amendments to the US Constitution, ratified in 1791 and guaranteeing such rights as the freedoms of speech, assembly, and worship.
checks and balances
counterbalancing influences by which an organization or system is regulated, typically those ensuring that political power is not concentrated in the hands of individuals or groups.
Common Sense
good sense and sound judgment in practical matters.
Constitution
a body of fundamental principles or established precedents according to which a state or other organization is acknowledged to be governed.
Constitution Convention
The gathering that drafted the Constitution of the United States in 1787; all states were invited to send delegates.
