Social Studies Ch. 7 Vocab/People/Events

Constitution

Constitution

plan of government

Bicameral

two-house government

Republic

a government in which citizens rule through elected representatives

Petition

to apply to

Ordinance

law

Depreciate

to fall in value

Depression

a period when economic activity slows and unemployment increases

Manumission

the freeing of individual enslaved persons

Proportional

corresponding in size

Compromise

an agreement between two or more sides in which each side gives up some of what it wants

Amend

to improve

Convention

a meeting

Federalism

sharing power between the federal and state governments

Legislative Branch

the law making branch

Executive Branch

headed by the president

Electoral College

a group made of presidential electors

Judicial Branch

the court system

Checks & balances

each branch has a way to limit the power of others so that no one single branch can dominate the government.

Amendment

something added to a document

Tradition

cultural beliefs and practices

Articles of Confederation

The first national Constitution in which the states had more power than the national government

Shays’s Rebellion

The rebellion of 1000 angry Massachusetts farmers. They rebelled against courts who were foreclosing their farms in 1786.

James Madison

A Virginia planter, who notes at the convention led to the final draft of the new Constitution. He is nicknamed, “the Father of the Constitution.”

Alexander Hamilton

A New York lawyer who suggested a convention to discuss the topic of trade in the states and creation of a strong central government.

Virginia Plan

A plan suggested by Edmund Randolph and James Madison which was supported by the large states. It had a two house legislature, a chief executive, and a court system. The members of the lower house would be elected by the people, and the upper house would be chosen by the lower house.

New Jersey Plan

A plan suggested by William Paterson that was favored by small states because it had a one house legislature, with one vote for each state. Under this plan, congress could set taxes and regulate trade.

Great Compromise (Connecticut Plan)

This idea by Roger Sherman was a combination of the Virginia and the New Jersey Plan. There was a two house legislature. The upper house, The House of Representatives will have a certain number of states depending on the population of it. The Lower house, the Senate would have one seat for every state.

Three-fifth Compromise

Because state population mattered in the House of Representatives, counting of slaves was now an issue for southerners. Solution was to count every enslaved person as “three fifths” of a free person.

John Locke

An English philosopher who introduced the idea of all people having “natural rights”, life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. He also wrote a book called Two Treaties of Government, which told us about a “social contract” between the people and the ruler.

Baron de Montesquieu

A French writer who came up with the concept of separation of powers to control the powers of government. His book was called The Spirit of Laws**.**

Conduct foreign affairs, maintain armed forces, borrow money, issue currency

Under the Articles of Confederation the National Government Could . . .

Edmund Randolph

Proposed the creation of a strong national government and he introduced the Virginia Plan

James Madison

Was a keen supporter of a strong national government. His notes documented the convention’s notes

Roger Sherman

Suggested a compromise that became the Great Compromize

Gouverneur Morris

Took Madison’s notes and made them into three articles