Constitution
Unit: Constitution
Vocab List
1. Federalists – Supporters of the Constitution
2. Anti-Federalists – Opposed to the Constitution
3. John Dickinson – Wrote Articles of Confederation
4. James Madison – Father of the Constitution
5. Founding Fathers – Men who wrote the Constitution
6. Bills – Proposed laws
7. Amendments – Changes to the Constitution
8. Duties – Taxes on imported goods
9. Popular sovereignty – Rule by the people
10. Federalism – Political system where power divided between national and state governments
11. Separation of Powers – Government power divided among different branches
12. Legislative Branch – Made up of two houses of Congress; Makes the laws
13. Executive Branch – Headed by the President; Implement and enforce laws passed by Congress
14. Judicial Branch – System of federal courts; Interpret federal laws and render judgment in cases
involving these laws
15. Checks and Balances – System which prevents one of the branches from becoming too powerful
16. Veto – Power of Chief Executive (President) to reject laws passed by the Legislative Branch
17. Impeach – Formally charge a public official with misconduct in office
Constitution Vocab
1. Sovereignty – Power
2. Virginia Statute for Religion Freedom (1779) – Written by Jefferson; creates a wall of separation
between church and state
-drafted in 1777; put in power 1779; accepted 1786???
-No states gave financial support to any religious group
-The Anglican Church, which formerly had been closely tied to the king’s gov’t, was disestablished in the
South (lost state support)
-only 3 N.E. states; NH, CT , & Mass; did the Congressional Church continue to receive state support in the
form of a religious tax; discontinued early 19th century
3. Articles of Confederation (AOC) – (1777) – Drafted by John Dickinson; first national constitution of the
U.S. which include state sovereignty
-talk about what States’ Rights are
-drafted in 1776 @ same time as when TJ was writing the D.O.I.
-Congress modified to protect individual states’ rights
-delayed for ratification b/c seaboard states such as R.I. & M.D. demanded that new territory west of
Alleghany Mountains put under jurisdiction of new central gov’t; New York & Virginia finally agree
= ratified March 1781
-consisted of 1 body (unicameral) = Congress; each state 1 vote; ratification 9 of 13 states
-unanimous vote required to amend Articles
=had no separate executive or judiciary (court system); only 1 house congress
-A Committee of States, w/ 1 representative from each state, could make minor decisions when full
congress not in session
-HAD MAJOR FLAWS: no executive power to enforce own laws = WEAK CENTRAL GOV’T
4. Land Ordinance of 1785 – 640 acre towns at $1 per acre where 1 section per town for public
education
-created under the A.O.C.
5. Northwest Ordinance (1787) -
a. Sets up 5 states (originally set up for 3) (Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, Illinois, Indiana)
b. 5,000 voters for a territory
c. 60,000 voters for a state
d. no slavery
e. Fugitive Slave Law (completely un-enforced / local authorities supposed to help)
-voter = white male property owner
6. Depression – Severe economic downturn in the economy
-during this time period: reduce foreign trade; limited credit due to nonpayment of war debts; inability
to levy national taxes; printing of worthless paper $
-13 states treated each other w/ suspicion; competed for economic advantages; put tariffs on one
another; restricted movements of goods across state lines
7. Deflation – more goods than $ in the economy
7.5 Inflation – More $ in the economy then goods
8. Shays’s Rebellion 1786 – Mass. Farmer who revolts over high taxes, imprisonment for debt, and lack of
paper $
-In Continental Army; thought he was owed for him fighting
-Inspires Continental Convention; frightens other colonies
-Jan. 1787 Shays and his followers attempts to seize weapons from Springfield armory; state militia of
Massachusetts broke the rebellion
-Samuel Adams draws up the Riot Act – authorities can jail anyone w/out trial
““Rebellion against a king may be pardoned, or lightly punished, but the man who dares to rebel against
the laws of a republic ought to suffer death””
-Shays’s army routed – Shays dies in poverty 1788 after being pardoned
Thomas Jefferson –
“A little rebellion now and then is a good thing… God forbid we should ever be
twenty years without such a rebellion… the tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the
blood of patriots and tyrants”
Mount Vernon Conference/Convention (1785) – G.W . held a conference in his home @ Mt. Vernon, VA; 4
states show (VA, MD, PA, DE). Agree that the AOC problems are significant enough to have another
convention
Mt. Vernon Conference -original conference hosted by G.W . @ his home @ Mt. Vernon, VA in 1785
-4 states (VA, MD, DE, PA) agree problems large enough = another convention = Annapolis Convention
9. Annapolis Convention 1786 - 5 of 13 states attend (NJ joins)
a. Setup trade agreements
b. calls for a new convention
-@ Annapolis, MD; only 5 states show;
-Hamilton & Madison convince other states another convention should be held in Philly to revise the
A.O.C.
10. Constitutional Convention (Philly 1787) – Meeting in Philly to amend the Articles of Confederation;
attended by 12 out of 13 states (55 white male delegates; no R.I.)
-
“for the sole and express purpose of revising the Articles of Confederation”
-R.I. did not trust the other states
-55 white male property owning delegates; wealthy; avg age early 40’s; lawyers & politicians; some
wrote own state constitutions
-worked in secret until work was completed
-G.W . unanimously elected chairperson
-directed by James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, Gouverneur Morris, & John Dickinson; all represented
different states but had same goal = strengthen the young nation
-many important figures weren’t there = John Jay, TJ, John Adams, & T Paine were on diplomatic missions
abroad; Sam Adams & John Hancock not invited; Patrick Henry refused to attend (opposed any growth in
federal power)
-after 17 weeks: draft was ready (Sept 17, 1787); needed 9 out of 13 states to ratify;
- took till June 1788 to ratify
11. James Madison – Father of the Constitution & creator of the Virginia Plan
12. Virginia Plan – Calls for a bicameral legislature based on a proportional representation which
included a Chief Executive; includes national sovereignty
-clearly favors large states (such as VA & PA)
13. Bicameral – 2 house system
-w/in Congress you have House & Senate
14. Proportional Representation – idea that the more people you have the more representation (House
of Representatives)
(California = 54 / Wyoming = 1)
15. Equal Representation – 1 state, 1 vote
16. NJ Plan – calls for a unicameral legislature based on equal representation
17. William Paterson – Created the NJ Plan and champion of small states rights
18. Roger Sherman – Created the CT Plan aka Great Compromise
19. Great Compromise – Current 2 house system (2 house Congress)
a. each state would be given equal representation in Senate
b. representation in the House of Representatives based on size of population
c. National sovereignty
d. Chief executive
20. 3/5ths Compromise – Every 5 slaves count as 3 people for determining state’s level of representation
& taxation
-further = guarantee that slaves could be imported for at least 20 years longer (1808), at which time
Congress could vote to abolish the practice =
“Sunset Ban” add towards definition
21. Commercial (Tariff) Compromise – Congress / National gov’t can:
a. regulate interstate & foreign commerce
b. place tax on imports BUT NOT exports
-northern states wanted the central gov’t to regulate interstate commerce and foreign trade
-southern states were afraid that export taxes would be placed on its agricultural products, such as
tobacco & rice
22. Federalists – Party that favored a strong national government, wealthy interests, and close
association w/ British
-mainly (NOT ALL) on Atlantic coast & large cities
23. Anti-Federalists – Party that favored strong state governments, small family farms, and close
association w/ France
-mainly (NOT ALL) small farmers and settlers on the frontier
24. The Federalist Papers– Written anonymously by Hamilton, Madison, and Jay in favor of the
Constitution
-meant to rally support to ratify the Constitution
-series of 85 essays; presented convincing/logical reasons for believing in the practicality of each major
provision of the Constitution
-Anti-Federalists were slow to react to The Federalist Papers
25. Bill of Rights – first 10 amendments in the constitution that guaranteed rights for every American
1788 Federalist had the necessary 9 states needed for ratification for Constitution
-biggest & most important states VA & NY DID NOT RATIFY YET; w/out them any chance for national unity
and strength would be in dire jeopardy
-Federalist promised a Bill of Rights = VA ratifies, followed by NY (1788)
-Nov 1789 = North Carolina ratifies ; May 1790 = Rhode Island ratifies = both reverse their original
decision
-Anti-Federalists desperately wanted a B.O.R., they argued:
= just fought Rev War to escape tyranny of a central gov’t in Britain, what is stopping a strong central
gov’t under the Constitution from acting in a tyrannical manner? = only adding B.O.R. could Americans
be protected against such as a possibility
-Federalists argued:
=members of Congress would be elected by the people they did not need protection against themselves
=it was better to assume that all rights were protected than to create a limited list of rights, since
dishonest/crooked officials could then assert that unlisted rights could be violated at will
-Federalist back down in order to adopt Constitution in ratifying conventions
-drafted largely by James Madison
-adopted in 1791
Bill of Rights
1) Freedom of: a) Speech; b) Religion; c) Press; d) Petition; e) Assembly
2) Right to: a) Bear Arms; b) Have a well-regulated militia
3) Quartering soldiers during peacetime w/out consent of owner
4) Unreasonable search and seizure w/out probable cause; need a warrant
5) a) trial by jury; b) no double jeopardy; d) cannot be deprived of life, liberty, or property w/out due process;
e) private property cannot be taken for public use w/out compensation
c) cannot be witness against yourself;
6) Criminal Prosecutions: a) right to a speedy & public trail; b) jury in state & district where crime
committed; c) must be informed of the nature & cause of the accusation/crime; d) confront the
witnesses against him/her; e) obtain witnesses if your favor; f) can obtain counsel in defense
7) Common Law: can request a jury if private concern in excess of $20
8) No: a) excessive fines or punishment; b) cruel or unusual punishment
9) Just because it is not in the Constitution does not mean it doesn’t exist
10) If it is not delegated in the Constitution/Fed Gov’t; it is reserved to the States or the Peopl
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