3.7-3.12

Articles of Confederation

first constitution, ratified in 1781 to become the new governing document of the nation

Legislative Branch

responsible for making laws within state governments

Northwest Ordinance of 1787

only good law on the books under the Articles of Confederation - promotion of public education, provisions for protection of private property,

1. abolished slavery in the northwest territory

2. provided a means by which western territories could get a population and apply for statehood

Shay’s Rebellion

showed the weakness of articles of confederation

Constitutional Convention

55 delegates met in 1787 in Philadelphia to shore up the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation

James Madison

proposed the Virginia Plan, made the first draft of George Washington’s farewell address

Alexander Hamilton

published George Washington’s farewell address, served as Washington’s Secretary of the treasury

Virginia Plan

proposal for a strong centralized state, bicameral legislature (2 houses in congress), representatives based on population

New Jersey Plan

unicameral legislature, every state had equal representatives

Great Compromise

this plan provided for a bicameral legislature (2 houses)

1. House of Representatives - represent states by population

2. Senate - represent each state equally by giving each state two votes

Three-Fifths Compromise

states that three fifths of the enslaved population could be added to the population for purposes of representation

Ratification

9/13 states had to agree on the new Constitution to become the new governing document of the new American nation

Federalists

mostly urban and commercial type folks went to their various states and tried to persuade the people to ratify the new Constitution

Anti-Federalists

group who went back to their states and tried to persuade the people NOT to ratify the new Constitution because it simply invested too much power into the hands of the central government at the expense of the states

Federalist Papers

a collection of essays written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay to argue for the ratification of the new Constitution

Bill of Rights

enumerated individual rights and made provision to protect individuals and states from the overreach of federal power

Federalism

the sharing of power between the national government and the state government

Supremacy Clause

states that national law trumps state law whenever they contradict

Enumerated Powers

the specific powers explicitly granted to the U.S. federal government by the Constitution,

example - power to declare war

Separation of Powers

the division of governmental authority into three distinct branches—legislative, executive, and judicial—to prevent any one branch from becoming too powerful

Veto

the president's constitutional power to reject a bill passed by Congress, preventing it from becoming law, check on the Congress (legislative)

National Bank

proposed by Hamilton to unify the states and improve the credit of the United States

Necessary and Proper Clause (Elastic Clause)

the Congress shall have power to make all laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into execution the foregoing powers and all other powers vested by this Constitution in the Government of the United States, of in any department or officer thereof

Proclamation of Neutrality

George Washington's 1793 announcement that the United States would not take sides in the war between France and Great Britain

Edmond Genet (Citizen Genet)

France’s minister to the United States, objected the Proclamation of Neutrality, went directly to the American people to get them to support the French

Jay’s Treaty

the British agree to give up its posts on the western frontier of the American territory

Pinckney Treaty

1. Spain agreed to let Americans use the port at New Orleans for trade along the Mississippi River

2. Spain agreed that the southern border of the United States would fall along the 31st parallel

Battle of Fallen Timbers

the U.S. army clashed with a confederacy of American Indian tribes and defeated them, led to Indian surrender of all the lands in the ORV

Whiskey Rebellion

showed strength of the new government under George Washington

Washington’s Farewell Address

a public letter that warned against the dangers of factions, political parties, and getting involved in entangling alliances with European nations

XYZ Affair

a diplomatic incident where French agents demanded a bribe from American diplomats before negotiations could begin

Alien & Sedition Acts

laws that made it possible for the government to imprison or deport any non-citizen and made it illegal to criticize the government publicly

Virginia & Kentucky Resolutions

said that the states had a right to nullify any law passed by the federal government in which it went beyond the powers explicitly granted to it by the Constitution

Monticello

Thomas Jefferson’s famous home

Poor Richard’s Almanack

a book that helped shape American identity as those who were industrious and hard working through aphorisms

Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom

defined the separation between church and state, argued that people could not be compelled to support church ministry with tax dollars, or even compelled to go to church at all, nor could the government violate the conscience of an individual worshipper

Treaty of Greenville

an agreement that concluded the Northwest Indian War and resulted in Native American tribes ceding much of their territory in the Ohio Country to the United States

Eli Whitney

inventor of the cotton gin and a pioneer of interchangeable parts

Cotton Gin

a machine that efficiently separated cotton fibers from seeds, making cotton processing much faster

Interchangeable Parts

the idea of using standardized, identical parts to build products, which allowed for mass production and easier repairs