#2 - The Constitution

Main purpose of declaring independence

To secure life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness and establish a new government

Event that exposed the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation

Shays's Rebellion (1786-87)

Guiding principles of the U.S. Constitution

Popular sovereignty, federalism, protected natural rights

Amendment that changed the selection process for Senators

17th Amendment (1913)

Purpose of the Preamble to the U.S. Constitution

To state the long-term goals and purposes of the Constitution

Year the first written constitutions were adopted in the U.S.

1776 (e.g., Virginia)

Three-Fifths Compromise

Counted each enslaved person as 3/5 of a free person for representation and taxation purposes

Factors courts consider when interpreting the Constitution

Text, original understanding, historical context, precedent, constitutional values, contemporary needs

Main reason the Constitution remains dynamic

Amendments, Supreme Court rulings, and public discourse continuously reshape its application

Initial selection process for Senators

Originally chosen by state legislatures

Year the U.S. Constitution was ratified

1789

Compromise that determined representation in Congress

Connecticut (Great) Compromise: proportional representation in the House, equal representation in the Senate

Core protection of the 1st Amendment

Speech, religion, press, assembly, petition

Purpose of the Separation of Powers

To prevent tyranny by dividing power among legislative, executive, and judicial branches

Provisions related to slavery in the original Constitution

Importation clause, Fugitive Slave Clause, Three-Fifths Compromise

Initial purpose of the Constitutional Convention

To revise the Articles of Confederation

Core mission of the U.S. Constitution

To form 'a more perfect union'

Year the Constitutional Convention met in Philadelphia

1787

Year the Colonists declared independence

1776

Document sent to the 13 states for ratification in 1777

Articles of Confederation

Main argument of Federalists during ratification

The Constitution's structure protected liberty

Case that established judicial review

Marbury v. Madison (1803)

Structure of Congress under the Articles of Confederation

Unicameral Congress; each state had one vote

Process for amending the Constitution

Proposal by 2/3 of Congress or convention, ratification by 3/4 of states

Type of system created by the Articles of Confederation

Confederal system: a loose alliance of sovereign states with a weak national government

Main argument of Anti-Federalists during ratification

Fear of a strong central government and potential tyranny

First 10 amendments to the Constitution

Bill of Rights (1791)

Key outcomes of the Constitutional Convention

Federal system, separation of powers, checks and balances

Core principles of the U.S. Constitution

Federalism, popular sovereignty, protection of natural rights, vague language

Number of amendments ratified out of proposals that cleared Congress

27 out of 33

Number of states required to ratify the Constitution

9 out of 13

Main grievances listed in the Declaration of Independence

Against King George III, justifying the break from Britain

Document that galvanized public support for independence in 1776

Thomas Paine's Common Sense

Main components of a constitution's structure

Mission statement, foundational structures, operating procedures

Method of informal amendment to the Constitution

Judicial interpretation via judicial review

Checks and Balances examples

Legislative override of presidential veto, judicial review, presidential nomination of judges

Clause that establishes the Constitution as supreme law

Supremacy Clause (Art. VI)

Major weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation

No power to tax, no national judiciary, lack of uniform economic policy