Unit 2 (10) Key Terms

republics

A nation governed by elected representatives and an elected leader rather than a monarch, where power rests with the voting citizens.

unicameral legislature

A government body with a single legislative or lawmaking chamber (one house).

bicameral legislature

A government body divided into two distinct chambers or houses (such as the House of Representatives and the Senate).

Articles of Confederation

The original constitution of the United States (1781–1789), which established a weak central government with limited authority over individual states.

John Dickinson

A Founding Father from Pennsylvania who drafted the Articles of Confederation and led the committee that framed the first national framework of government.

federal

A national system of government where authority and powers are divided between a central national government and smaller state or regional governments.

Northwest Territory

The region bounded by the Ohio River, the Mississippi River, and the Great Lakes, organized by the early U.S. government for settlement and state creation.

Land Ordinance of 1785

A Congressional law establishing a standardized grid system to survey, divide, and sell western land to settlers and land companies.

Northwest Ordinance of 1787

A foundational law that created a structured process for admitting new states from the Northwest Territory to the Union on equal footing with existing states, while outlawing slavery in the territory.

Shays’ Rebellion

An armed 1786–1787 uprising of distressed Massachusetts farmers protesting high taxes and debt collection, exposing the fundamental weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation.

Alexander Hamilton

A key Founding Father, Federalist leader, co-author of The Federalist Papers, and first U.S. Secretary of the Treasury who advocated for a strong central government and national financial system.

James Madison

Known as the "Father of the Constitution," a Virginia delegate, political theorist, and principal author of the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights.

Virginia Plan

A constitutional proposal submitted by larger states advocating for a strong central government with a bicameral legislature, with representation based on population.

New Jersey Plan

A constitutional proposal submitted by smaller states advocating for a single-house legislature where every state received equal representation regardless of population.

Great Compromise

(Connecticut Compromise) The agreement that resolved the debate between large and small states by creating a bicameral legislature: equal representation in the Senate and population-based representation in the House of Representatives.

federalism

The constitutional division of political power between a central national government and regional state governments.

Three-Fifths Compromise

A agreement reached at the Constitutional Convention where three-fifths of a state's enslaved population was counted for both taxation purposes and legislative representation.

ratification

The official formal approval and adoption of a constitution, constitutional amendment, or treaty.

Federalists

Early American political advocates who supported the adoption and ratification of the U.S. Constitution and favored a strong national government.

Antifederalists

Opponents of the U.S. Constitution who feared a strong central government would erode individual liberties and states' rights, leading directly to the demand for a Bill of Rights.

The Federalist

A collection of 85 essays written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay under the pen name "Publius" to persuade citizens to ratify the U.S. Constitution.

John Jay

A Founding Father, co-author of The Federalist Papers, statesman, and diplomat who served as the first Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court.

Bill of Rights

The first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution, explicitly guaranteeing individual civil rights and limiting the power of the federal government.

popular sovereignty

The political principle that government power is created by and subject to the consent of the people, who are the ultimate source of political authority.

limited government

A governing principle where national authority is strictly constrained by a constitution or law to protect the rights of individuals.

separation of powers

The division of government authority into distinct branches (Executive, Legislative, Judicial) to prevent any single branch from acquiring total control.

checks and balances

A system within government that allows each branch to limit, review, or overturn specific actions of the other branches to maintain a balance of power.

electoral college

The body of electors established by the Constitution that formally casts the official votes to elect the President and Vice President of the United States.