The Confederation and the Constitution (1776–1790) – Key Terms

These vocabulary flashcards cover major concepts, events, compromises, and political philosophies surrounding the period from the Articles of Confederation through the drafting and ratification of the U.S. Constitution (1776–1790).

Articles of Confederation

America’s first national constitution (ratified 1781) that created a loose league of sovereign states and a weak central government lacking power to tax or regulate commerce.

Constitutional Convention (1787)

Meeting of 55 delegates in Philadelphia that scrapped the Articles of Confederation and drafted the U.S. Constitution.

Federalism

System of government in which power is divided between a central (federal) authority and constituent political units (states).

Federalists

Supporters of the new Constitution who favored a stronger national government; included Washington, Hamilton, Jay, and Madison.

Antifederalists

Opponents of the Constitution who feared centralized power and demanded a bill of rights; leaders included Patrick Henry and Samuel Adams.

Great Compromise (Connecticut Compromise)

Agreement creating a bicameral Congress with proportional representation in the House and equal representation in the Senate.

Three-Fifths Compromise

Formula that counted each enslaved person as three-fifths of a person for taxation and representation purposes.

Electoral College

Body of electors established by the Constitution to choose the president indirectly, balancing popular influence with state interests.

Virginia Plan

“Large-state” proposal for congressional representation based on population; became basis for House of Representatives.

New Jersey Plan

“Small-state” proposal for equal representation of states in a unicameral legislature; elements adopted in the Senate.

Northwest Ordinance (1787)

Law that set up a process for territories north of the Ohio River to become states and banned slavery in the region.

Land Ordinance of 1785

Legislation that surveyed and divided western lands into townships for sale, dedicating Section 16 proceeds to public schools.

Shays’s Rebellion (1786–1787)

Uprising of Massachusetts farmers demanding debt relief; spurred calls for a stronger national government.

Republicanism

Political philosophy emphasizing government based on the consent of the governed and civic virtue of citizens.

“Republican Motherhood”

Ideal that women were responsible for raising virtuous citizens, thus expanding female influence in the new republic.

Society of the Cincinnati

Hereditary organization of Revolutionary War officers criticized for aristocratic pretensions in egalitarian America.

Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom (1786)

Law authored by Thomas Jefferson that disestablished the Anglican Church and guaranteed religious liberty in Virginia.

Primogeniture

Inheritance practice granting all property to the eldest son; largely abolished during the post-Revolution reform wave.

Separation of Church and State

Principle that government should not establish or favor a religion; advanced by disestablishment after the Revolution.

Bill of Rights

First ten amendments to the Constitution (ratified 1791) protecting individual liberties against federal intrusion.

Checks and Balances

Constitutional system ensuring that each branch of government can limit the powers of the others.

Popular Sovereignty

Concept that political power resides with the people, who give consent to be governed.

Supremacy Clause

Constitutional provision (Article VI) declaring federal law superior to state laws.

Commerce Clause

Article I, Section 8 power allowing Congress to regulate trade between states and with foreign nations.

Elastic (Necessary and Proper) Clause

Constitutional clause giving Congress authority to pass all laws necessary to carry out its enumerated powers.

Annapolis Convention (1786)

Gathering that called for a broader meeting to revise the Articles, leading to the Philadelphia Convention.

Lord Sheffield’s Pamphlet

British argument that trade would return to prewar patterns without a treaty, prompting U.S. desire for commercial power.

Dey of Algiers

North African ruler whose pirates preyed on American shipping, highlighting weaknesses of the Confederation government.

“Mobocracy”

Federalist term describing feared rule by disorderly masses, exemplified by Shays’s Rebellion.

Socio-economic Democracy

Trend toward broader political participation and leveling of social hierarchies after the Revolution.

“Large-state” vs. “Small-state” Conflict

Debate over representation that produced compromises balancing population and state equality.

Confederation Congress

Legislative body under the Articles with limited powers to conduct foreign policy and manage western lands.

Full Faith and Credit Clause

Article IV requirement that states honor public acts, records, and judicial proceedings of other states.

Ratification Conventions

State gatherings elected to approve or reject the Constitution, bypassing state legislatures.

The Federalist Papers

Series of essays by Hamilton, Madison, and Jay advocating ratification and interpreting the Constitution.

Federalist No. 10

Madison essay arguing that a large republic would control factions better than small ones.

“Extensive Republic”

Madison’s idea that size and diversity of the U.S. would safeguard liberty by diluting factions.

“Bundle of Compromises”

Nickname for the Constitution, reflecting the multiple agreements (representation, slavery, trade) within it.

Life Tenure for Judges

Constitutional provision granting federal judges service “during good Behaviour,” insulating them from politics.

Standing Army Debate

Antifederalist fear that a permanent national military threatened liberty; addressed by congressional control of funding.

Amendment Process (Article V)

Two-step procedure requiring proposal by Congress or states and ratification by states, allowing legal, orderly change.

Unanimity vs. Supermajority

Shift from requiring all states to amend the Articles to needing 3/4 of states to amend the Constitution.

Society for the Abolition of the Slave Trade (1775)

Philadelphia Quaker group forming world’s first antislavery society, signaling challenge to slavery.

Civic Virtue

Citizen’s responsibility to put public good above private interests; considered essential for republican government.

Post-Revolution Economic Depression

Period of inflation, debt, and British trade restrictions that exposed weaknesses of the Confederation.