Articles of Confederation
This document was approved in 1781 as the very first written plan of government for the United States.
Articles of Confederation
These famous opening three words of the Constitution state that the power of the government comes from the citizens.
"We the People"
This group supported the new Constitution because they wanted a strong central government to unify the nation.
Federalists
Consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives, this branch is responsible for creating and writing national laws.
Legislative Branch
Held in Philadelphia during the hot summer of 1787, this gathering of 55 delegates met to fix the Articles of Confederation but ended up writing the Constitution.
Constitutional Convention
Out of fear of creating another king like George III, the Articles left out this powerful branch of government, meaning there was no President.
Executive Branch
To prevent any single group from gaining too much power, the Constitution divides government authority among this number of branches.
Three
Anti-Federalists refused to sign the Constitution unless this was added to guarantee individual freedoms and protect citizens from government overreach.
Bill of Rights
Led by the President, this branch is responsible for enforcing and carrying out the laws passed by Congress.
Executive Branch
Known as the "Father of His Country," this Revolutionary War hero presided over the Constitutional Convention and later became the first U.S. President.
George Washington
Under the Articles, the federal government had to ask states for money because Congress did not have the power to collect these
Taxes
Added in 1791, these first 10 amendments protect individual rights like freedom of speech and religion.
Bill of Rights
Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay wrote a famous series of 85 essays under the pen name "Publius" to persuade people to approve the Constitution.
Federalist Papers
Made up of nine Justices appointed for life, this highest court in the nation leads the Judicial Branch.
Supreme Court
To approve or formally accept a document like the Constitution or an amendment, states must go through this official process.
Ratify
This 1786 uprising of angry Massachusetts farmers showed everyone that the national government was too weak to maintain order.
Shays Rebellion
During the 1787 Convention, this agreement resolved the debate over state representation by creating a two-house legislature (the Senate and the House of Representatives).
The Great Compromise
Federalists believed this body held the power to interpret laws, while Anti-Federalists worried its judges would overrule state courts.
Supreme Court (Judicial Branch)
The Judicial Branch uses this power to review laws passed by Congress or executive actions and declare them unconstitutional.
Judicial Review
This compromised counting method was included in the Constitution to settle how enslaved people would be counted for both taxation and representation in Congress
Three-Fifths Compromise
In May 1787, delegates met in Philadelphia originally to revise the Articles, but ended up writing this brand-new document instead.
The Constitution
This principle, built into the Constitution, allows each branch of government to limit the powers of the other two branches so no single branch becomes too strong.
Checks and Balances
This key leader of the Constitutional Convention wrote many of the Federalist Papers and is known today as the "Father of the Constitution."
James Madison
While the President serves as Commander-in-Chief of the military, only this branch of government has the constitutional power to officially declare war.
Legislative Branch
This famous city served as the temporary capital of the United States where delegates gathered to write both the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.
Philadelphia