The U.S. Constitution A Structure of Government and Rights of the People Flashcards
American Revolution Ends with Treaty of Paris
The Treaty of Paris (1783) made America officially independent from Britain.
Shay’s Rebellion (1786-1787)
Shay’s Rebellion (1786-1787) was a rebellion of farmers in Massachusetts who were struggling to pay debts and taxes after the Revolutionary War. They
The Great Compromise
The Great Compromise (or Connecticut Compromise) solved a big fight between large and small states about how many representatives each state would get in Congress. Large states wanted representation based on population (more people, more representatives), while small states wanted equal representation (every state gets the same number of representatives). The compromise created a two-part Congress: the Senate, where each state gets two senators, and the House of Representatives, where the number of representatives is based on the state’s population. This way, both large and small states felt like they had a fair say in the government.
3/5 Compromise
The Three-Fifths Compromise decided that enslaved people would be counted as three-fifths of a person for both representation and taxation. This meant that for every five enslaved people, three would be counted towards a state’s population for representation in the House of Representatives
Slavery (Compare to Northwest Ordinance )1787
The Northwest Ordinance said NO slavery in new states north of the Ohio River. It was about freedom and growth. But the Constitution had compromises about slavery, like counting enslaved people as 3/5 of a person, which kept slavery going. It shows how the founders had different ideas about freedom and equality.
Electoral College
The Electoral College is like a game where each state has a team of “electors” based on its population. The candidate who wins the most “electors” wins the presidency, even if they didn’t get the most individual votes. It gives more power to smaller states.
Bill of Rights
The Bill of Rights is the first 10 amendments to the U.S. Constitution. It guarantees basic rights and freedoms to all Americans
Legislative Branch (House + Senate)
the House and Senate work together to make laws, but they also have to agree on the same version of a law before it can be sent to the President to sign
Executive Branch
The President has a lot of power, but they also have to work with the other branches of government to get things done. It’s a system of checks and balances to make sure no one person or group gets too powerful.
Judicial (Supreme Court and Lower Courts)
The Judicial Branch is like the “referee” of the U.S. government. It’s made up of courts, and its main job is to make sure that laws are fair and follow the Constitution.
Federalism
Federalism is like a shared power system between the national government (the big boss) and the state governments (the local bosses). Here’s how it works:
- National Government:Has powers like declaring war, making treaties, and printing money.
- State Governments:Have powers like setting up schools, making traffic laws, and running elections.
Anti Federalist
someone who opposed the ratification of the U.S. Constitution in 1787 and 1788
A. Debates and compromises at the Constitutional Convention
Debates and Compromises at the Constitutional Convention:The Founding Fathers argued about how to create a strong national government while protecting individual rights. They made compromises like the Great Compromise (representation in Congress) and the Three-Fifths Compromise (counting enslaved people).
The Bill of Rights:
The first 10 amendments to the Constitution, which guarantee basic freedoms like speech, religion, and the press. It was added to address concerns about a powerful central government.
Slavery in the Constitution
The Constitution didn’t abolish slavery but included compromises like the Three-Fifths Compromise, which allowed Southern states to count enslaved people for representation. This ultimately led to the Civil War.
