Chapter 0 Vocab Terms

Enlightenment

An intellectual movement in Europe during the 17th and 18th centuries that emphasized reason and individualism over faith and tradition and sought to solve human problems by applying specific models and reason to government and politics

Consent of the governed

The authority to rule came from the people the government served.

Natural rights

(life, liberty, and property) could never be taken away or even voluntarily given up by individuals. These rights were "unalienable" (impossible to surrender)

Social contract

A ruler had to protect his/her citizens' natural rights, and if the ruler did not do this, the citizens had the right to establish a new government that would protect them.

Declaration of Independence

elaborates on the grievances of the colonists of how the King violated their natural rights and that according to social contract, they had the right to leave and form their own government.

Northwest Ordinance

about how the Northwest Territory would be governed including how new states could be created, the rights of those new states, the term limits and specifics about the representative of the state, the rights of the accused, the rights of the people, the importance of education and building schools, the rights of the Native Americans, no slavery, and what happens if a slave escapes.

Articles of Confederation

The first plan for a national government in the United States; it created a confederation of 13 states.

Successes of the AoC

It ended the Revolutionary War, The Northwest Ordinance of 1787, the adoption of the resolution calling for the Constitutional Convention of 1787, and forwarding the Convention's work to the states for approval.

Failures of the AoC

States were often governed by majorities interested in little more than their own self-interests, Congress couldn't raise taxes or the armed forces, states could tax the goods coming from other states, Congress was limited by the requirement for the assent of at least nine states, and every state had to agree to amend something.

Federalism

Division of power among federal and state governments.

Federalist (and beliefs)

The people who wanted the Constitution to be ratified and believed that the national government needed to be stronger than it was in the AoC. They believed that the ratification of the Constitution would help people.

3 branches of government

The executive branch (the president and people in the White House), the legislative branch (the people who make the laws), and the judicial branch (the people who interpret the law)

Great Compromise

Settled the differences between the Virginia and New Jersey plans by creating a bicameral legislature, giving each state 2 senators in the Senate, and basing representation in the House of Representatives on the population of a state

3/5 Compromise

This counted each enslaved person as 3/5 as a person to so that the smaller states would have more of a population and more representatives in the House of Representatives

Anti-Federalists (and beliefs)

The people who didn't want the Constitution to be ratified because they thought the national government would abuse it’s power over taxing and that the president would use their power over to military to attack people and/or only protect themselves.

Debate over ratification (of the Constitution)

The federalists vs. the anti-federalists about whether the Constitution should be ratified and whether it would benefit the people and protect their rights.

Federalist Papers

A series of essays written by federalist and published in states’ newspapers to convince New York to support the ratification of the Constitution.

Bill of Rights

The protections for personal liberty that limit the power of the government over individuals

Rights of Free Expression

The freedom of religion/belief, freedom of speech, freedom to publish what you want, freedom to peacefully assemble, and the freedom to petition the Government

Rights of the Accused

Freedom from unreasonable searches and seizures, no person can be held in jail unless presented with being formally charged with a crime, no person can be tried for the same crime twice (double jeopardy), no person can be forced to incriminate themselves, and you have a right to a fair and speedy public trial (gives a person the right to legal counsel and other assurances that make a trial “fair” for the person accused of a crime)

Rights of Property

Freedom from unreasonable searches and seizures