Unit 1 Study Guide - American History

Northwest Ordinance

a 1787 law passed by the Confederation Congress that created the Northwest Territory and established a clear method for admitting new states to the Union.

Articles of Confederation

the first constitution of the United States.

First Amendment -{1st and 10th amendment}

Protects freedom of religion, speech, the press, peaceful assembly, and the right to petition the government.

Second Amendment -{1st and 10th amendment}

 Protects the right of the people to keep and bear arms. 

Third Amendment -{1st and 10th amendment}

Restricts the quartering of soldiers in private homes without the owner's consent during peacetime.

Fourth Amendment -{1st and 10th amendment}

Protects people against unreasonable searches and seizures and requires warrants to be supported by probable cause.

Fifth Amendment -{1st and 10th amendment}

Guarantees rights in criminal cases, including grand jury indictments, protection against double jeopardy and self-incrimination, the right to due process, and fair compensation for property taken for public use.

Sixth Amendment -{1st and 10th amendment}

Guarantees the right to a speedy and public trial by an impartial jury, the right to confront witnesses, and the right to legal counsel in criminal prosecutions.

Seventh Amendment -{1st and 10th amendment}

Guarantees the right to a jury trial in civil lawsuits involving a certain monetary value.

Eighth Amendment -{1st and 10th amendment}

Prohibits excessive bail, excessive fines, and cruel and unusual punishments.

Ninth Amendment -{1st and 10th amendment}

Clarifies that people retain rights that are not explicitly listed in the Constitution.

Tenth Amendment -{1st and 10th amendment}

States that powers not delegated to the federal government are reserved to the states or to the people.

Federalism

Federalism is a system of government that divides power between a central national government and regional state or local governments.

federalists v. anti-federalists

Federalists supported the ratification of the 1787 U.S. Constitution and a strong central government, while Anti-Federalists opposed it, fearing centralized tyranny and demanding a bill of rights.

New Jersey Plan v. Virginia Plan

The Virginia Plan proposed a strong national government with a two-house legislature based on population, while the New Jersey Plan advocated for equal state votes in a one-house legislature.

The Great Compromise

creating a two-house U.S. Congress that balanced power between large and small states.

The Three-Fifths Compromise

The Three-Fifths Compromise was an agreement reached during the 1787 United States Constitutional Convention. It determined how enslaved Black people would be counted when calculating a state's total population for both federal representation and direct taxation.