APUSH - The Articles of Confederation, The Constitutional Convention and Debates Over Ratification, The Constitution (3.7-3.10)

APUSH Period #2 - test on 3.7-3.10 containing The Articles of Confederation, The Constitutional Convention and Debates Over Ratification, The Constitution as told in American Pageant and AMSCO. STUDY: Terms and questions in both the American Pageant and AMSCO book (look at images and past assignments as well).

Articles of Confederation (1777)

The first American Constitution which created a loose alliance of the 13 independent states under a unicameral legislature (one house). Said that 9 out of 13 states has to vote for a law and votes had to be unanimous to amend one. Did not give congress the power to collect taxes.

Bill of Rights (1777)

The ten amendments that listed the basic rights of American citizens to protect them from the government. 10 were ratified by the states.

Land Ordinance of 1785

Congress established a policy for surveying and selling the western lands. The policy provided for setting aside one section of land in each township for public education.

Northwest Ordinance of 1787

Created the Northwest Territory (area north of the Ohio River and west of Pennsylvania), established conditions for self-government and statehood, included a Bill of Rights, and permanently prohibited slavery.

Shay's Rebellion (1786)

Armed uprising of western Massachusetts debtors seeking lower taxes and an end to property foreclosures. Though quickly put down, the insurrection inspired fears of "mob rule" among leading Revolutionaries. Led to the government making more strict rules for the citizens.

Treaty of Paris (1783)

This treaty ended the Revolutionary War, recognized the independence of the American colonies, and granted the colonies the territory from the southern border of Canada to the northern border of Florida, and from the Atlantic coast to the Mississippi River.

James Madison (1809-1817)

"Father of the Constitution," Federalist leader, and fourth President of the United States. Went in between Federalism and Democratic-Republicanism.

Alexander Hamilton (1755-1804)

He devised a financial system which stabilized the national economy after the American Revolution, and restructured national debt so it functioned as a political asset rather than a liability. He was one of the leading federalists; he favored a strong central government and helped write The Federalist papers. As the first secretary of the treasury, he convinced Congress to assume the debts states incurred during the Revolution, supported foreign trade and tariffs to provide revenue to the nation, established a mint, and developed a national bank, the Bank of the United States.

Gouverneur Morris (1752-1816)

Pennsylvania representative at the Constitutional Convention; credited with authoring large sections of the constitution, including the preamble.

John Dickinson (1732-1808)

Founding father from Maryland who drafted the articles in 1777 that weren't ratified until 1781.

Federalists

Favored a strong central government, loose interpretation of the Constitution, and were mostly rich merchants who had stakes in British trade.

Anti-Federalists

Favored small state governments, strict interpretation of the constitution, and were mostly farmers and immigrants who were low-income.

The Federalist Papers (1788)

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.

Constitutional Convention

Meeting in 1787 of the elected representatives of the thirteen original states to write the Constitution of the United States.

Mount Vernon Conference (1785)

Virginia and Maryland met to discuss commerce, fishing, and navigation on the Potomac River. They ultimately both decided to work together.

Annapolis Convention (1786)

Held to discuss the barriers that limited trade or commerce between the largely independent states under the Articles of Confederation. Led to the Constitutional (Philadelphia) Convention in 1787.

Separation of Powers

Constitutional division of powers among the legislative, executive, and judicial branches, with the legislative branch making law, the executive applying and enforcing the law, and the judiciary interpreting the law.

Checks and Balances

A system that allows each branch of government to limit the powers of the other branches in order to prevent abuse of power.

Congress

the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States consisting of two houses: the Senate and the House of Representatives.

New Jersey Plan

A constitutional proposal that would have given each state one vote in a new congress. Favored smaller states.

Virginia Plan

Virginia delegate James Madison's plan of government, in which states got a number of representatives in Congress based on their population. Favored larger states.

Connecticut Plan (The Great Compromise)

Plan which provided for a two house Congress; the Senate with two representatives per state and the House of Representatives with representatives based on population.

Senate

The states would each have equal representation.

House of Representatives

Each state is represented according to its population.

Three-Fifths Compromise (1787)

Agreement that each slave counted as three-fifths of a person in determining representation in the House for representation and taxation purposes.

Commercial Compromise (1787)

Allowed Congress to regulate interstate and foreign commerce yet prohibited any tariffs on exported goods. This agreement incorporated the needs of both the Anti-Federalists and the Federalists to some degree.

Electoral College System

Delegates assign to each state a number of electors equal to the total of that state's representatives and senators; instituted because the delegates at Philadelphia feared that too much democracy might lead to mob rule.

National Bank

Hamilton's big idea; fiercely opposed by Jefferson and Democratic-Rep. The bank would regulate money and draw investors; showed that the constitution could be construed in many a way.

Washington's Cabinet

Henry Knox (Secretary of War/Defense; Thomas Jefferson (Sec. of State); Alexander Hamilton (Sec. of Treasury); Edmund Randolph (Attorney General).

Supreme Court

A court that heard cases that found issues in the Constitution. The court had an even number of justices and often heard circuit cases before they came to the Supreme Court.

Federal Courts

the courts of the national government that deal with problems between states, with the constitution, and with laws made by congress.

Judiciary Act (1789)

Congress passed this Act which created the federal-court system. The act managed to quiet popular apprehensions by establishing in each state a federal district court that operated according to local procedures.

National Debt

We owed money to the British to pay off money we owed them and adopt Canada. We owed money to French to pay off their war debts.

Federalist Era

1790s were dominated by two Federalist figures around which political parties formed: Hamilton and Jefferson; Hamilton's federalists supposed his financial programs (loose interpretation of Constitution but strong central government).

Federalist Party

A political party created in the 1790s and influenced by Alexander Hamilton that wanted to strengthen the federal government and promote industry and trade.

Democratic-Republican Party

Led by Thomas Jefferson, believed people should have political power, favored strong state governments, emphasized agriculture, strict interpretation of the Constitution, pro-French, opposed National Bank.

John Adams (1797-1801)

America's first Vice-President and second President. Sponsor of the American Revolution in Massachusetts, and wrote the Massachusetts guarantee that freedom of press "ought not to be restrained."

Washington's Farewell Address (1976)

Listed to not get involved in European affairs, not to make permanent alliances, not to form political parties, and not to form into sectionalism.

Alien and Sedition Acts (1798)

passed by Federalists, it increased waiting period for an immigrant to become a citizen from 5 to 14 years, empowered president to arrest and deport dangerous aliens, & made it illegal to publish defamatory statements about the federal government or its officials. Worked against the Democratic-Republicans who were mostly low income.

Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions (1799)

Jefferson and Madison's response to the Alien and Sedition Acts; promoted the states' right to nullify federal laws they considered to be unconstitutional.

Battle of Fallen Timbers (1794)

Decisive battle between the Miami confederacy and the U.S. Army. British forces refused to shelter the routed Indians, forcing the latter to attain a peace settlement with the United States.

Treaty of Greenville (1795)

Drawn up after the Battle of Fallen Timbers. The 12 local Indian tribes gave the Americans the Ohio Valley territory in exchange for a reservation and $10,000.

Whiskey Rebellion (1794)

Western Penn. Protest over Hamilton's whiskey tax. Reminded people of shays rebellion- suppressed by state militias led by fed. government.

Public Land Act (1796)

Established orderly procedures for dividing and selling federal lands at reasonable prices.

French Revolution (1789)

Period of radical social and political change throughout Europe that began with an uprising against the king of France.

Proclamation of Neutrality (1793)

A formal announcement issued by President George Washington declaring the United States a neutral nation in the conflict between Great Britain and France.

"Citizen" Genet (1763-1834)

As the ambassador to the United States from the new French Republic, he engaged American privateers to attack British ships. His actions and the French radicals excessive actions against their enemies in the new French Republic caused the French Revolution to lose support among Americans.

Jay Treaty (1794)

In 1794, this treaty with Britain, was negotiated by Chief Justice John Jay. The U.S. wanted Britain to stop seizing U.S. ships and impressing our sailors. However, the treaty said nothing about ship seizures, and Britain only agreed to pay back money.

Pinckney Treaty (1795)

Treaty negotiated by Thomas Pinckney, US minister to Spain, in which Spain agreed to open the lower Mississippi River and New Orleans to American trade. Spain also accepted that a part of Florida should be given to the United States.

Right of Deposit

Americans reached an agreement with Spain that would allow free navigation along the Mississippi River.

XYZ Affair (1797)

Diplomatic conflict between France and the United States when American envoys to France were asked to pay a hefty bribe for the privilege of meeting with the French foreign minister. Many in the U.S. called for war against France, while American sailors and privateers waged an undeclared war against French merchants in the Caribbean.