Define It!
The introduction to the Constitution.
What is the Preamble?
A protest by Massachusetts farmers against the court's decision to jail people who couldn't pay taxes. Eight men were killed.
What was Shay's Rebellion?
Hamilton wisely said that the object of the Constitutional Convention was to do this to the Articles of Confederation, not replace them altogether. This avoided angering some of the leaders who favored the Articles.
What was to change them?
This prevents one branch of government from acting without the cooperation of another branch.
What is the system of checks and balances?
Before the Constitution could be ratified, it needed the approval of this number out of the original 13 states.
What was nine states?
All of the officials who head the different departments of government.
What is the Cabinet?
Heavy taxes, jail time, and taking of land by the government.
What were some problems that Massachusetts farmers faced?
This plan established a central government that was to be divided into legislative, executive, and judicial branches.
What was the Virginia Plan?
Under the Constitution, the President is allowed this power.
What is the power to order the army into battle?
Some leaders were afraid of the Constitution. They were particularly fearful that this would happen as a result of ratifying the Constitution.
What is the loss of the states' rights?
A system in which the powers of one branch of government are balanced by the powers of another.
What is the system of checks and balances?
Rules that set up our country's first government, giving most powers to the state governments.
What were the Articles of Confederation?
The debate between the small and large states centered on whether representation should be based on this, or be the same for each state.
What was the state's population?
Congress has this power, which balances the President's power to order the army into battle.
What is the power to declare war?
A series of newspaper articles written by Madison, Hamilton, and Jay in support of the Constitution.
What were the Federalist Papers?
The first ten amendments to the Constitution that describe the rights of people that the government cannot take away.
What is the Bill of Rights?
Under the Articles of Confederation, many people thought of themselves as this.
What is citizens only of the state in which they lived.
Madison was relieved then the delegates accepted part of the Virginia Plan because it meant that they would not waste time doing this to the Articles of Confederation.
What was trying to fix them?
With two-thirds of both the Senate and the House of Representatives, Congress can do this.
What is override a Presidential veto?
Mason refused to sign the Constitution at first because it did not have this. Hancock convinced him by suggesting that it could be added in the form of amendments.
What is a declaration of rights? (Bill of Rights)
A system where the states and national government share power.
What is the federal system?
A law passed under the Articles of Confederation which provided a way for new territories to become states, gave new settlers in the territories the rights of citizens, outlawed slavery, and required that land be set aside for public schools.
What was the Northwest Ordinance?
Power was divided equally between small and large states under the Articles of Confederation, giving each state the same number of these, regardless of it's size.
What was representatives?
The Constitution balances freedom and power by creating this system, which divides up power between a strong national government and state governments.
What is a federal government?
The writers of the Constitution made sure that adding amendments would require this, in order to make it hard to change the Constitution.
What is the approval of large majorities of either the Senate & the House of Representatives or of the states?