APUSH Unit 3.9: The Constitution & The Bill of Rights

Vocabulary flashcards covering the Articles of Confederation, Constitutional Convention compromises, fundamental constitutional principles, and the ten amendments of the Bill of Rights.

Articles of Confederation

The first governing framework of the United States that created a weak national government with no executive branch, no national court system, no power to tax, and no power to regulate interstate commerce.

Shays' Rebellion (1786–1787)

An uprising of Massachusetts farmers facing debt and taxes that the national government struggled to handle, convincing many leaders that a stronger central government was necessary.

Constitutional Convention (1787)

A 1787 meeting of delegates in Philadelphia originally tasked with revising the Articles of Confederation, which instead drafted an entirely new framework of government.

James Madison

A key delegate at the Constitutional Convention often called the "Father of the Constitution" who later co-authored The Federalist Papers and drafted the Bill of Rights in the First Congress.

Great Compromise (Connecticut Compromise)

An agreement establishing a bicameral Congress balancing large and small state interests, featuring a House of Representatives based on state population and a Senate where every state receives two senators.

Three-Fifths Compromise

An agreement providing that three-fifths of the enslaved population would be counted for representation and direct taxation, reinforcing slavery and boosting the political power of slaveholding states.

Commerce and Slave-Trade Compromise

A constitutional agreement giving Congress the authority to regulate interstate and foreign trade while barring it from banning the international slave trade before 1808.

Federalists

Supporters of the ratification of the Constitution who favored a stronger national government, led by figures including James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and John Jay.

Anti-Federalists

Opponents of the proposed Constitution who feared that a strong central government would overpower the states and threaten individual liberties, demanding the addition of a bill of rights.

The Federalist Papers

A series of essays written by James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and John Jay to defend and encourage the ratification of the Constitution.

Ratification

The formal approval of the Constitution by the states, which officially took effect after the ninth state ratified it in 1788.

Federalism

The constitutional division of governmental power between the federal (national) government and state governments.

Supremacy Clause

The constitutional rule designating the Constitution, valid federal laws, and treaties as the "supreme Law of the Land," giving valid federal law priority over conflicting state law.

Separation of Powers

The division of national government responsibilities among three distinct branches: the legislative, executive, and judicial branches.

Legislative Branch

The branch of government consisting of the Congress (House of Representatives and Senate) that makes federal laws and approves taxes and government spending.

Executive Branch

The branch of government headed by the President that enforces and carries out federal laws, managing executive departments and programs.

Judicial Branch

The branch consisting of the Supreme Court and lower federal courts that interprets laws and the Constitution and resolves legal disputes.

Checks and Balances

A constitutional system that enables each of the three branches of government to limit the actions and powers of the other branches.

Bill of Rights

The first ten amendments to the Constitution, proposed in 1789 and ratified in 1791, designed to protect individual liberties and restrict national government power.

1st Amendment

Protects five core individual freedoms: freedom of religion, speech, press, assembly, and the right to petition the government.

2nd Amendment

Protects the right of the people to keep and bear arms, subject to constitutional interpretation and legal regulations.

3rd Amendment

Prohibits the government from forcing citizens to house soldiers in their homes during peacetime without the owner's consent.

4th Amendment

Guarantees protection against unreasonable searches and seizures, requiring search warrants based on probable cause that describe the specific place, persons, or things.

5th Amendment

Provides protections for individuals accused of crimes, including grand jury indictments, bans on double jeopardy, protection against self-incrimination, due process, and rules for eminent domain.

Due Process

A constitutional requirement ensuring that the government must follow fair legal procedures before depriving an individual of life, liberty, or property.

Double Jeopardy

A Fifth Amendment protection prohibiting the government from prosecuting an individual twice for the same offense following an acquittal or conviction.

Eminent Domain

The power of the government to take private property for public use, provided that just compensation is given to the owner.

6th Amendment

Guarantees rights in criminal prosecutions, including a speedy and public trial by an impartial jury, the right to confront witnesses, and the right to legal counsel.

7th Amendment

Protects the right to a jury trial in certain federal civil cases involving disputes between private individuals or organizations.

8th Amendment

Prohibits the federal government from imposing excessive bail, excessive fines, and cruel and unusual punishments on convicted individuals.

9th Amendment

Affirms that the enumeration of specific rights in the Constitution does not deny or disparage other fundamental rights retained by the people.

10th Amendment

Reinforces federalism by establishing that powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited to the states, are reserved to the states or to the people.