Social Studies Vocab December 2025

12-10-25

The Articles of Confederation

The 1st government of the United States, it was a weak central government before the Constitution

Northwest Ordinance

A 1787 law that created a system for governing the Northwest territory and admitted states to the union

Shays’ Rebellion

An uprising by Massachusetts farmers in the 1780s who were protesting high taxes & debt collection after the Revolutionary War

Constitution

The set of laws and principles that a country or state uses to govern itself

Bicameral

A legislature with two houses/chambers

Unicameral

A legislature with one house/chamber

Virginia Plan

A cameral legislature where the amount of representation depends on the population of the state

New Jersey Plan

a unicameral/one-house legislature with equal representation for every state

Great Compromise

A bicameral congress that combines the Virginia and New Jersey plan

⅗ Compromise

To count three out of every 5 enslaved people when it came to voting and representation

Alexander Hamilton

A Founding Father and author of the Federalist papers

James Madison

Founding father and 4th president of the USA, he helped make the bill of rights

Federalists

Supporters of a strong central government

Anti-Federalists

People who disliked and feared a strong central government

Ratify

To approve of something

*List some strengths of the articles of confederation*

1) Developed process for new states

2) Negotiate the Treaty of Paris

*List some weaknesses of the articles of confederation*

1) Lack of power to taxes

2) Weak enforcement of laws

3) Inefficient legislative process (9 out of 13 rule)

The Bill of Rights

The 10 amendments of the constitution

Checks and Balances

Where each branch of government can limit what the other branches do

Executive Branch

The Executive branch has the president, vice president and the cabinet

Legislative Branch

This branch has the senate and the house of representatives. The senate has 100 people and the house of representatives has 435. 

Judicial Branch

This branch has the supreme court and the US court of appeals. They interpret laws and take certain court cases. 

Veto

When someone rejects something

Cabinet

15 executive departments and the vice president within the executive branch  

Impeachment

When a president is banned from being president from your 4 year term

Override

Two of the three branches can override a rule when ⅔ of them agree

Amendment

A formal change to a legal document

Supreme Court

The highest court in the US legal system

Congress

The branch in the US government that is in charge of making laws

Senate

The upper house of US congress with 100 members that represent all 50 states

House of Representatives

The lower chamber of the US congress with 435 members representing individual districts

First Amendment

You have freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom of protest and freedom of petition.

Second Amendment

The right to bear arms

Third Amendment

The government can’t force you to let soldiers live in your house.

Fourth Amendment

No unreasonable searches

Fifth Amendment

You can’t be forced to testify against yourself, and can’t be punished without being found guilty.

Sixth Amendment

Right to a speedy and public trial. Right to a jury. Right to know what you’re accused of.

Seventh Amendment

Right to a jury even when it’s a civil case.

Eighth Amendment

No cruel or unusual punishment

Ninth Amendment

Just because it isn’t listed in the Bill of Rights, doesn’t mean that you don’t have other rights.

Tenth Amendment

If the Constitution doesn’t give a power to congress, then that power belongs to the states.