U.S. History Units 2 & 3: American Revolution and Creating the Constitution

Sixty comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering the American Revolution, the Articles of Confederation, the Constitutional Convention, and constitutional governance based on the study plan.

Enlightenment

An intellectual movement emphasizing reason, natural rights, and limits on government power.

Patriots

Colonists who supported independence from Great Britain.

Loyalists

Colonists who remained loyal to Great Britain during the American Revolution.

Republican ideology

The belief that people should govern through elected representatives in a republic, with power limited to protect liberty.

Direct democracy

A system where citizens vote directly on laws or government decisions.

Representative democracy

A system where citizens elect representatives to make decisions for them.

Expansion of political participation

A development where more people gained opportunities to participate in politics, though rights remained unequal and restricted.

State constitutions

Written plans defining a state's government, powers, and limits.

Separation of church and state

The principle that government and religious institutions have separate roles, and government should not control religion.

Articles of Confederation

America's first national governing system, which created a weak central government with limited powers.

Shays’ Rebellion

An uprising by Massachusetts farmers that exposed weaknesses in the national government under the Articles.

Constitutional Convention

The 1787 meeting where delegates developed a new Constitution to replace the Articles of Confederation.

Virginia Plan

A plan that proposed representation in Congress based on population.

New Jersey Plan

A plan that proposed equal representation for each state in Congress.

Great Compromise

An agreement establishing a two-house Congress with population-based representation in the House and equal state representation in the Senate.

Congress

The legislative branch of the federal government, made up of the House of Representatives and the Senate.

Legislative branch

Congress; makes federal laws.

Executive branch

The president and executive branch; enforce federal laws.

Judicial branch

Federal courts; interpret laws and resolve legal disputes.

Separation of powers

Dividing government authority among the legislative, executive, and judicial branches.

Federalism

Dividing power between the national government and state governments.

Checks and balances

A system in which each branch can limit the powers of the other branches.

Federalists

Supporters of ratifying the Constitution and creating a stronger national government.

Anti-Federalists

Critics who feared centralized power and wanted stronger protections for individual rights.

Federalist Papers

Essays written to encourage support for ratifying the Constitution.

Bill of Rights

The first ten amendments to the Constitution, protecting individual rights and liberties.

U.S. Constitution

The nation's foundational governing document, establishing the federal government and defining its powers.

Three-Fifths Compromise

Counted three-fifths of the enslaved population for representation and direct taxation.

“All other persons”

A phrase in the original Constitution's counting provision referring to enslaved people.

Jeffersonian Republicans

Supporters of Thomas Jefferson who generally favored limited federal power and stronger state authority.

Naturalization Act of 1790

A law that restricted eligibility for naturalized U.S. citizenship to free white persons.

Founding Fathers

Leaders who helped establish the United States and its government, including George Washington, James Madison, and Benjamin Franklin.

House of Representatives

The chamber of Congress where representation is based on population.

Senate

The chamber of Congress where every state has equal representation with two senators.

George Washington

A Founding Father who helped establish the United States and its government.

James Madison

A Founding Father who helped establish the United States and its government.

Benjamin Franklin

A Founding Father who helped establish the United States and its government.

“Free persons”

A category mentioned in the constitutional counting provision distinguished from all other persons.

Limited taxing power

A specific weakness of the Articles of Confederation that left the national government struggling to address problems.

Massachusetts farmers

The group whose uprising during Shays’ Rebellion exposed the weaknesses of the national government under the Articles.

Cause-and-effect chain: Step 1

Articles of Confederation: The national government had limited powers and struggled to address national problems.

Cause-and-effect chain: Step 2

Shays’ Rebellion: The uprising exposed weaknesses in the existing system.

Cause-and-effect chain: Step 3

Constitutional Convention: Delegates debated and negotiated a new framework for government.

Cause-and-effect chain: Step 4

U.S. Constitution: The new system strengthened national authority while dividing power.

Articles of Confederation vs. Constitution

Articles created a weak national government with limited powers, whereas the Constitution created a stronger national government with executive and judicial branches and stronger powers.

Direct vs. representative democracy

In direct democracy, citizens decide issues themselves; in representative democracy, citizens elect officials to decide for them.

Virginia Plan vs. New Jersey Plan

The Virginia Plan called for representation based on population, while the New Jersey Plan called for equal representation for each state.

Federalists vs. Anti-Federalists

Federalists supported ratification and a stronger national government; Anti-Federalists feared centralized power and wanted stronger rights protections.

Federalism vs. separation of powers

Federalism divides power between national and state governments, while separation of powers divides power among the branches of government.

House vs. Senate

House representation is based on population, whereas every state has two senators in the Senate.

Great Compromise vs. Three-Fifths Compromise

The Great Compromise settled representation between large and small states, while the Three-Fifths Compromise addressed counting enslaved people for representation and taxation.

Claim (Essay Structure)

The component of an essay where a writer states a direct argument.

Evidence (Essay Structure)

The component of an essay providing a specific historical fact or constitutional feature.

Explanation (Essay Structure)

The component of an essay explaining how specific evidence proves the stated claim.

Claim → Evidence → Explanation

The required essay structure: make a direct argument, provide a specific historical fact or constitutional feature, then explain how it proves your point.

Constitutional protections against tyranny

Structural mechanisms including separation of powers, checks and balances, federalism, and the Bill of Rights to limit the concentration of power and protect rights.

Weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation

Flaws that created a weak central government with limited powers, no executive or judicial branches, and an inability to address national problems.

Natural rights

Inherent individual liberties emphasized during the Enlightenment as a basis for limiting government power.

Republic

A government system in republican ideology where people govern through elected representatives and power is limited to protect liberty.

Free white persons

The specific group eligible for naturalized U.S. citizenship under the Naturalization Act of 1790.