American History Unit One Vocab

Declaration of

Independence

Document explaining why the colonies wanted independence from Britain

(a list of grievances)

John Locke

Enlightenment thinker who advocated the idea of a "social contract" and

inalienable rights

Social Contract

An agreement between the people and their government signifying their

consent to be governed

Right of

Revolution

The right of the people to overthrow a government that acts against their

natural rights

Stamp Act

Direct tax on printed goods, including: playing cards, documents,

newspapers, etc.

Intolerable Acts

In response to Boston Tea Party, closed Boston port, no trial by jury or town meetings

Boston Massacre

British troops opened fire on a crowd killing five colonists

Quartering Act

Required colonists to provide food, lodging, and supplies for the British

troops in the colonies.

Declaratory Act

What the King says became law in the colonies

Proclamation of

1763

Forbade British colonists from settling west after Pontiac's Rebellion

Articles of

Confederation

The first constitution of the United States which was weak as the colonists

were afraid of another King

Northwest

Ordinance

Set precedents like telling states how to join the U.S., trial by jury, freedom

of religion, and money/land for public education

Primary Source

Something created by a person who experienced the event

Secondary Source

Something created after an event that is knowledge about what happened

Warrant

A legal paper, issued by a court, giving police permission to seize or search

Double Jeopardy

Being tried twice for the same crime

Eminent Domain

Power of a government to take private property for public use.

Due Process

fair treatment through the judicial system

Federalists

Supporters of the U.S. Constitution who liked separation of powers and checks/balances

Anti-Federalists

Opponents of the American Constitution who wanted a Bill of Rights

Legislative Branch

Makes the laws (Congress)

Executive Branch

Enforces laws (President and Vice President)

Judicial Branch

Interprets laws (Supreme Court)

Great Compromise

Compromise made by Constitutional Convention in which states would have equal representation in one house of the legislature and representation based on population in the other house (combines Virginia Plan and New Jersey Plan)

Three-Fifths Compromise

An agreement that each enslaved person counted as three-fifths of a person in determining representation in the House for representation and taxation purposes

Federalism

A system in which power is divided between the national and state governments

Enlightenment ideals in the Constitution

Popular sovereignty, Rule of law, Separation of powers, Checks and balances, and Limited Government

Study ten amendments in the knowt

Constitution

Document that sets up the three branches of government in the US

New Jersey plan

Believing in fixing the articles of confederation to have one legislator government where votes were equal, it was favored by small states

Tabula Rasa

The idea that we are all born as blank slats in our shaped by our environment

Corroboration

Comparing sources to each other in order to understand the full story of an event it should include both primary and secondary source sources.

Right to Revolution

Locks idea that if a government is abusing your harming people’s inalienable rights, it can be overthrown

Checks and balance

How the three branches of government keep each other from becoming too powerful

Inalienable rights

Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness

Virginia plan

a 1787 proposal by Virginia delegates for a strong central government with three distinct branches and representation based on state population (larger states supported)