Lesson 5: Understanding the Articles of Confederation and Constitution

Admiralty Court

court of law for maritime cases, or legal issues at sea

Levy

to impose or collect a tax or fee

Commerce

economic dealings, such as buying and selling

Regulate

to control or monitor

Currency

a monetary system or medium of exchange

Articles of Confederation

the colonies' first attempt at forming a national government, created on November 5, 1777

Powers of Congress AOC

Overseeing foreign relations, making treaties and alliances, declaring war, maintaining military, coining money, establishing postal service, managing American Indian affairs, establishing admiralty courts, settling disagreements between states

Weakness of AOC

Difficulties in getting 9 of 13 states to agree on a bill, inability to levy taxes, inability to oversee foreign commerce or regulate trade between states, Congress couldn't declare war

Shays's Rebellion

1786 uprising by farmers in western Massachusetts over high taxes, demonstrating the weakness of the AOC

Standing army

a permanent military force

Bicameral

two-chamber legislature

Caucus

a conference or meeting of leaders, typically of a political party

Tariffs

a tax on goods coming into or leaving a country

James Madison

Politician who became the 4th president of America, known as the father of the Constitution and Bill of Rights

Virginia Plan

Three branch government with legislative, executive, and judicial branches, favored by large states

New Jersey Plan

Called for eight amendments to the AOF, favored by small states

Connecticut Compromise

Proposed a bicameral legislature with representative democracy in the lower house and one vote per state in the upper house

Three-fifths compromise

Agreement that counted each slave as three-fifths of a person for taxation and representation purposes

Constitution

the fundamental principles and laws by which a state or country is governed

Separation of powers

creation of different branches for the executive, legislative, and judicial powers of a government

Veto

formally reject a bill and prevent it from taking effect

Popular sovereignty

belief that power is in the hands of the people and those they elect to govern them

Bill of rights

statement declaring the fundamental rights of the people belonging to any group, including individual states of an entire nation

Unicameral legislature

having only one chamber or house

Statute

a written law passed by a legislative body, such as a state government

Civil republicanism

citizen must have freedoms to be able to make choices for the good of their own people

Classical liberalism

a political philosophy focusing on personal freedoms under law, representative democracy, and minimal central government

Majority rule

government will make decisions based on what most people want and the minority who disagree will have to abide by the decision

Executive branch

headed by the president and responsible for enforcing the nation's laws

Federalism

political system combining central or federal government with state and regional governments

Sovereignty

a government's ability to govern itself and interact with other governments

Elastic Clause

allows congress to pass laws as needed to keep the federal government running

Indian Commerce Clause

granted congress authority over commerce involving American Indians

Right to Habeas Corpus

people cannot be detained without reason, the person must be brought before a court and a reason given for the arrest

No Bills of attainder

allowed the government to punish people without trial and not legal under the Constitution

No enforcing ex post facto laws

no one can be punished for doing something that was legal at the time

10th amendment

balanced state and federal powers under a system of dual sovereignty stating that power not governed to the federal government or banned by the constitution would stay with the states

Delegate

person elected or assigned to represent others

Ratify

consent to or approve something and make it official, like a treaty of contract

Federalist

early american political party that advocated a strong national government

Anti-federalist

early american political movement wanting strong state governments and focus on personal property

Factions

small political groups that acted in their own interests

Preamble

an introduction or opening statement

Tranquility

peaceful or calm

Welfare

health, happiness or well-being

Legislation

congress debating and discussing proposed laws and amendments

Unalienable

impossible to surrender to have taken away

Fundamental rights

basic human rights

Amendments

something added to a legal document after it has been complete

Petition

call for a change in government operations

Assembly

a public gathering of people for political purposes

Double Jeopardy

accuser can't be tried for the same crime twice if the first trial ends in acquittal

Acquittal

a judgment that a person is not guilty of a crime

1st Amendment

freedom of speech, freedom of press, right to assemble, and right to protest

2nd Amendment

right to bear arms

3rd Amendment

no soldiers living in private homes without permission

4th Amendment

protection from unreasonable and unlawful search and seizure of property

5th Amendment

protects citizens from testifying against themselves; also protection from criminal prosecution without due process

6th Amendment

right to speedy trials of one's peers in criminal cases

7th Amendment

right to trial by jury of one's peers in civil cases

8th Amendment

protection from excessive bail, fines, or cruel and unusual punishment, such as torture

9th Amendment

citizens' rights beyond ones recorded in constitution

10th Amendment

states granted rights not specifically assigned to federal government