Chapter 2 – The Constitution and Its Origins

Vocabulary flashcards covering major people, events, concepts, and constitutional provisions discussed in the lecture notes on the origins and framework of the U.S. Constitution.

U.S. Constitution (1787)

Foundational document establishing the structure, powers, and limits of the U.S. government; oldest written constitution still in effect.

Framers

Delegates to the 1787 Constitutional Convention who drafted the U.S. Constitution.

Articles of Confederation

The United States’ first national governing document (1781–1789) that created a weak central government and strong state sovereignty.

John Locke

17th-century Enlightenment philosopher whose theories of natural rights and the social contract strongly influenced American political thought.

Natural Rights

Inherent rights—life, liberty, and property—held to be granted by God and protected by government, per Locke.

Social Contract

The theory that people consent to form governments to secure their natural rights.

Magna Carta (1215)

English charter that first limited the monarch’s power by recognizing certain rights of ‘freemen.’

English Bill of Rights (1689)

Act of Parliament that expanded civil liberties and limited monarchical authority; precursor to U.S. Bill of Rights.

Seven Years’ War

1756-1763 conflict after which Britain sought to tax colonies to recoup war debts, fueling colonial unrest.

Taxation Without Representation

Colonial grievance that Parliament imposed taxes without granting colonists elected representatives.

Boston Massacre (1770)

Deadly clash in Boston where British troops fired on colonists, intensifying anti-British sentiment.

Boston Tea Party (1773)

Colonial protest against British taxes in which tea was dumped into Boston Harbor.

Coercive (Intolerable) Acts (1774)

British laws punishing Massachusetts for the Tea Party and restricting self-rule.

First Continental Congress (1774)

Assembly of colonies formed to oppose British policies and coordinate resistance.

Second Continental Congress (1775-1781)

Body that led the war effort and adopted the Declaration of Independence.

Declaration of Independence (1776)

Document asserting colonial separation from Britain and enumerating unalienable rights of ‘Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.’

Yorktown Surrender (1781)

British defeat that effectively ended the American Revolutionary War.

Shays’ Rebellion (1786-1787)

Massachusetts farmers’ uprising highlighting weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation and prompting calls for stronger national government.

Virginia Plan

Constitutional proposal for a bicameral legislature with representation based on state population.

New Jersey Plan

Proposal for a unicameral legislature giving each state equal representation.

Great Compromise

Agreement combining the Virginia and New Jersey Plans: population-based House and equal-representation Senate.

Three-Fifths Compromise

Formula counting each enslaved person as three-fifths of a person for House apportionment and direct taxes.

Foreign Slave Trade Clause

Constitutional provision barring Congress from prohibiting the importation of slaves before 1808.

Fugitive Slave Clause

Requirement that enslaved individuals escaping to free states be returned to their owners.

Separation of Powers

Division of government into legislative, executive, and judicial branches to prevent tyranny.

Checks and Balances

Constitutional system allowing each branch to restrain the powers of the others.

Legislative Branch (Article I)

Congress; makes laws through the House of Representatives and the Senate.

Executive Branch (Article II)

Headed by the president; enforces laws and commands the military.

Judicial Branch (Article III)

Federal courts, including the Supreme Court; interprets laws and adjudicates disputes.

Impeachment

Power of Congress to charge and remove presidents, judges, or other officials for ‘high Crimes and Misdemeanors.’

Judicial Review

Authority of courts to invalidate laws or executive actions conflicting with the Constitution; established in Marbury v. Madison (1803).

Federalism

System dividing governmental powers between national and state governments.

Enumerated Powers

Specific authorities granted to the federal government in the Constitution.

Reserved Powers

Powers not delegated to the federal government and therefore retained by the states (Tenth Amendment).

Supremacy Clause

Article VI clause declaring the Constitution, federal laws, and treaties the supreme law of the land over state laws.

Federalists

Supporters of Constitution ratification who favored a strong national government.

Anti-Federalists

Opponents of ratification who feared centralized power and demanded protections for individual liberties.

The Federalist Papers

85 essays by Hamilton, Madison, and Jay advocating ratification and explaining constitutional principles.

Bill of Rights (1791)

First ten amendments guaranteeing individual liberties and limiting federal power.

Article V

Constitutional article outlining the amendment proposal and ratification process.

Thirteenth Amendment (1865)

Abolished slavery throughout the United States.

Fourteenth Amendment (1868)

Granted citizenship, due process, and equal protection to all persons born or naturalized in the U.S.

Fifteenth Amendment (1870)

Prohibited voter discrimination based on race, color, or previous servitude.

Seventeenth Amendment (1913)

Instituted direct popular election of U.S. senators.

Nineteenth Amendment (1920)

Extended voting rights to women nationwide.

Twenty-Fourth Amendment (1964)

Prohibited poll taxes in federal elections.

Twenty-Sixth Amendment (1971)

Lowered the voting age from 21 to 18.