Important Dates
This was the year hen the Constitutional Convention began meeting.
What is 1787?
This plan proposed to base representation in Congress on a state's population to favor larger states.
What is the Virginia Plan?
This term refers to the idea that political authority belongs to the people.
What is "popular sovereignty?"
This group of leaders supported the new Constitution and argued for its ratification.
Who were the Federalists?
Because of poor attendance at the Annapolis Convention, these two leaders called for a Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia.
Who were James Madison and Alexander Hamilton?
This was the number of years when the slave trade was to be banned under the Constitution.
What is 20 years?
This plan proposed equal representation in Congress, regardless of a state's population which smaller states favored.
What is the New Jersey Plan?
This is term for a system that allows for the sharing of power between a central or national government and the states making up the nation.
What is "federal system?"
This group of leaders feared the new Constitution gave too much power to the national government and did not do enough to guarantee individual rights.
Who were the Antifederalists?
This Revolutionary War hero was elected president of the Constitutional Convention.
Who was George Washington?
This is the year that that Benjamin Franklin died.
What is the year 1790?
This compromise agreement created the bicameral (two house) legislature, the US Congress.
What is the Great Compromise?
This is the term for the set of principles and laws that state the duties and powers of a government.
What is a "constitution?"
This branch of government proposes and passes laws.
What is the legislative branch?
Neither of these two important leaders (and future US Presidents) attended the Constitutional Convention because they were serving as diplomats in Europe.
Who were John Adams and Thomas Jefferson?
The was the year that the Federalist Papers were published into book form.
What is the year 1788?
Under this compromise agreement, only this fraction of a state's slave population would be counted for the purpose of determining representation in Congress.
What is the Three-Fifths Compromise?
This is the word for the act of approving a constitution or its amendments (changes or additions).
What is "ratification?"
This branch of government carries out the laws.
What is the executive branch?
The delegate from Virginia, Edmund Randolph, proposed this "large state plan" to the Constitutional Convention .
What was the Virginia Plan?
This is the year when the Bill of Rights were ratified by the states and added to the Constitution.
What is the year 1791?
The disagreement over the slave trade was resolved in the Constitution by allowing it to continue for this many years.
What is 20 years?
This is the term for an official change or addition to the Constitution.
What is "amendment?"
This is the name for the first ten amendments to the US Constitution.
What is the Bill of Rights?
Roger Sherman of Connecticut proposed this solution to the argument over how to determine representation in the new Congress.
What is the Great Compromise?