U.S History Ch.8

articles of confederation

First American constitution that established the United States as a loose confederation of states under a weak national Congress. These were replaced by a more efficient Constitution in 1789.

old northwest

Territories acquired by the federal government from the states, encompassing land northwest of the Ohio River, east of the Mississippi River, and south of the Great Lakes.

land ordinance of 1785

Provided for the sale of land in the Old Northwest and earmarked the proceeds toward repaying the national debt. It was to be divided into townships six miles square, each of which in turn was to be split into thirty-six sections of one square mile each.

northwest ordinance

Created a policy for administering the Northwest Territories. It included a path to statehood and forbade the expansion of slavery into the territories.

shay’s rebellion

Armed uprising of western Massachusetts debtors seeking lower taxes and an end to property foreclosures.

virginia plan

“Large state” proposal for the new constitution, calling for proportional representation in both houses of a bicameral Congress, this favored larger states

new jersey plan

proposing equal representation by state, regardless of population, in a unicameral legislature. Small states feared that the more populous states would dominate the agenda under a proportional system.

great compromise

Popular term for the measure that reconciled the New Jersey and Virginia Plans at the Constitutional Convention, giving states proportional representation in the House and equal representation in the Senate.

common law

Laws that originate from court rulings and customs, as opposed to legislative statutes.

civil law

Body of written law enacted through legislative statutes or constitutional provisions.

three-fifths compromise

Determined that each slave would be counted as three-fifths of a person for the purpose of apportioning taxes and representation.

electoral college

Mechanism for electing presidents of the United States. Each state has a number of electors equal to its total number of senators and representatives. These electors are chosen by the voters, and they in turn select the president—creating “indirect” presidential elections.

antifederalists

Opponents of the 1787 Constitution, they cast the document as antidemocratic, objected to the subordination of the states to the central government, and feared encroachment on individuals’ liberties in the absence of a bill of rights.

federalists

Proponents of the 1787 Constitution, they favored a strong national government, arguing that the checks and balances in the new Constitution would safeguard the people’s liberties.

the federalist

Collection of essays written by John Jay, James Madison, and Alexander Hamilton and published during the ratification debate in New York to lay out the federalists’ arguments in favor of the new Constitution. Since their publication, these influential essays have served as an important source for constitutional interpretation.

society of the cincinnati

Exclusive hereditary organization of former officers in the Continental Army. Many resented the pretentiousness of the order, viewing it as a vestige of pre-Revolutionary traditions.

disestablish

To separate an official state church from its connection with the government. Following the Revolution,

virginia statute for religious freedom

Measure enacted by the Virginia legislature prohibiting state support for religious institutions and recognizing freedom of worship. Served as a model for the religion clause of the First Amendment to the Constitution.

civic virtue

Willingness on the part of citizens to sacrifice personal self-interest for the public good. Deemed a necessary component of a successful republic.

republican motherhood

Ideal of family organization and female behavior after the American Revolution that stressed the role of women in guiding family members toward republican virtue.

daniel shays

Revolutionary War veteran who led a group of debtors and impoverished backcountry farmers in a rebellion against the Massachusetts government in 1786, calling for paper money, lighter taxes, and an end to property seizures for debt.

patrick henry

American revolutionary and champion of states’ rights, became a prominent antifederalist during the ratification debate, opposing what he saw as despotic tendencies in the new national constitution.