American Constituion to John Quincy Adams

Alexander Hamilton

Founding Father; author of The Federalist Papers; first Secretary of the Treasury; advocated for a strong central government and national bank.

William Jackson

Secretary to the Constitutional Convention who recorded official notes and signatures.

Thomas Jefferson

Author of the Declaration of Independence; 3rd U.S. President; supported states' rights and limited federal government.

John Adams

2nd U.S. President; helped draft the Declaration of Independence; strong Federalist.

Thomas Jefferson Term

Refers to Jefferson's presidency (1801-1809), marked by the Louisiana Purchase and the Embargo Act.

Popular Sovereignty

The principle that government power comes from the consent of the governed.

Limited Government

The idea that government power is restricted by law, usually through a constitution.

John Jay

Co-author of The Federalist Papers; first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.

Federalism

A system where power is divided between national and state governments.

Henry Knox

First Secretary of War under George Washington; Revolutionary War general.

Edmund Randolph

Introduced the Virginia Plan; first U.S. Attorney General.

Separation of Powers

Division of government into three branches: legislative, executive, and judicial.

Checks and Balances

System where each branch of government can limit the powers of the others.

John Dickinson

Founding Father; wrote Letters from a Farmer in Pennsylvania promoting colonial unity.

Judicial Review

The Supreme Court's power to declare laws unconstitutional.

Anti-Federalists

Opponents of the Constitution; favored stronger state governments.

Strict vs. Loose Interpretation

Debate over how strictly to interpret the Constitution's text (Jefferson = strict, Hamilton = loose).

Proclamation of Neutrality

1793 declaration by Washington stating the U.S. would stay neutral in European conflicts.

Aaron Burr

Jefferson's Vice President; killed Alexander Hamilton in a duel.

Whiskey Rebellion

1794 uprising against a federal excise tax; showed federal government's power to enforce laws.

Farewell Address

Washington's warning against political parties and foreign alliances.

Revolution of 1800

Peaceful transfer of power from Federalists (Adams) to Democratic-Republicans (Jefferson).

Judiciary Act of 1789

Established the structure of the federal court system.

Necessary and Proper Clause

Gives Congress power to make laws needed to carry out its duties (Elastic Clause).

John Quincy Adams Term

6th U.S. President (1825-1829); focused on infrastructure and education.

Democratic-Republicans

Political party led by Jefferson; favored agriculture and state power.

Amendment 1-10

The Bill of Rights; first ten amendments protecting individual freedoms.

Amendment 13

Abolished slavery in the United States.

Amendment 19

Gave women the right to vote (1920).

Amendment 26

Lowered the voting age to 18 (1971).

Northwest Ordinance

1787 law establishing a process for creating new states and banning slavery in the Northwest Territory.

New Jersey Plan

Constitutional proposal favoring equal representation for all states.

Virginia Plan

Proposal for representation based on population.

Commerce and Slave Trade Compromise

Congress could regulate trade but not ban the slave trade before 1808.

3/5 Compromise

Counted enslaved persons as three-fifths of a person for representation and taxation.

Federalist Papers 51 and 10

Essays by Madison promoting checks and balances (51) and warning against factions (10).

Bill of Rights

First 10 amendments guaranteeing individual liberties.

Federalist Papers

A collection of 85 essays written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay to support the ratification of the U.S. Constitution and explain how the new government would work.

George Washington

Leader of the Continental Army during the American Revolution and the first President of the United States; set key precedents for the presidency, including neutrality in foreign affairs and serving only two terms.