Chapter 7 | Articles Of Confederation | U.S. History

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bicameral

having two separate lawmaking chambers

ordinance

a law or regulation

depreciate

to fall in value

depression

a period when economic activity slows and unemployment increases

manumission

the freeing of individual enslaved persons

proportional

having the proper size in relation to other objects or items

compromise

a settlement of a dispute by each side giving up some demands; a settlement of a disagreement reached by each side giving up some of what it wants in order to reach an agreement

convention

a meeting

amend

to change or revise

federalism

a form of government in which power is divided between the federal, or national, government and state governments

legislative branch

the law making branch of the government

executive branch

the branch of government that executes, or carries out, the law and that is headed by the president

electorial college

a special group of people named by each state legislature to select the president and vice president

judicial branch

the branch of government that interprets the law; it includes courts that settle disputes, and questions the law

checks & balances

a system by which each branch of government limits the powers of other branches so that one branch does not become too powerful

tradition

a long-standing cultural belief or practice

amendment

a change, correction, or improvement added to a document

republic

a government in which citizens rule through elected representatives

richard henry lee

president of congress under the articles of confederation

articles of confederation

the nation’s first constitution. a plan for a new central government…however, it created a weak one. the articles were a “firm league of friendship” in which each state retained its “sovereignty, freedom, and independence”

ordinance of 1785

the Northwest Ordinance was created to urge people to settle in the Northwest Territory. it created rules to settle the northwest territory in a peaceful and orderly way. For the most part, it worked.

northwest ordinance

the northwest ordinance was passed in 1787. It protected the property rights of settlers and set up a way for people to form states. It created a single northwest territory from lands north of the ohio river and east of the mississippi river. it also had a bill of rights for the settlers in the territory. It guaranteed freedom of religion and trial by jury. It also stated, "There shall be neither slavery nor involuntary servitude in said territory."

land act of 1800

over time, it was clear that people needed even more help. In 1800 Congress passed the Land Act. The act made it possible for people to pay for land a little at a time. Under the terms of this law, a person was required to buy at least 320 acres of land at a price of $2 per acre. The buyer could pay half of the money at the time of purchase and the rest in four yearly payments.

john adams

sent to paris to help ben franklin negotiate the end of the revolutionary war. he was extremely confrontational and forthright. franklin thought he was too harsh, and john thought franklin was too much about himself. their partnership resulted in the treaty of paris in 1783

shays’ rebellion

farmers were unable to sell their goods (due to economic troubles) meaning they couldn’t pay their taxes and debts, so state officials took their land and threw them in jail. This angered many farmers. Some began to think that the new government had too much power. They wanted the government to make paper money and help people who were in debt. The farmers' revolt grew. In January 1787, Shays led about 1,200 people toward the federal arsenal. The state militia ordered the farmers to stop and then fired over their heads. The farmers did not stop. The militia fired again, killing four farmers. Shays’ and his followers fled, but ultimately frightened the americans.

philadelphia convention

in sept. 1786, hamilton called for a convention, or meeting, in philadelphia to discuss trade issues. he also wanted to talk about changes to make "the constitution of the federal government adequate to the exigencies [needs] of the Union."

virginia plan

plan created mostly by james madison calling for a strong national government; the plan proposed a government with 3 branches (a two-house legislature, or law-making body; a chief executive chosen by the legislature; and a court system)

new jersey plan

a plan stating that the legislature would have a single house, and each state would have one vote. the plan called for a powerful government, but less powerful than that of the virginia plan.

great compromise

a convention that formed a comitee to solve problems based on the virginia plan. sherman compromised, or suggested, a different type of representation in a two-house legislature.

the three-fifths compromise

A compromise stating that every five enslaved persons would count as three persons in the state's population total. This population total would be used to set up taxes and decide on representation in Congress.