A "Firm League of Friendship" (AoC)
This document served as the first official federal government of the United States from 1781 to 1789.
Articles of Confederation
This plan for the new government, favored by large states, proposed a bicameral legislature with representation based on state population.
Virginia Plan
These first ten amendments to the Constitution were added to protect individual liberties and satisfy Anti-Federalist concerns.
Bill of Rights
This man was unanimously elected as the first president and established the tradition of serving only two terms.
George Washington
In 1803, Thomas Jefferson purchased this vast territory from France for $15 million, effectively doubling the size of the U.S.
Louisiana Territory
This 1786 uprising by Massachusetts farmers over high taxes and debt exposed the inability of the central government to maintain order.
This agreement settled the dispute over representation by creating a bicameral legislature with equal representation in the Senate and population-based representation in the House.
The Great Compromise (Connecticut Compromise)
This constitutional principle divides power between a central national government and various state or regional governments.
Federalism
In his 1796 Farewell Address, Washington urged the young nation to maintain a policy of neutrality and avoid these.
Permanent Alliances
This 1803 landmark case was the first time the Supreme Court declared a law unconstitutional, establishing the power of judicial review.
Marbury v. Madison
Under the Articles, the federal government lacked this specific power, leaving it constantly short of money and unable to pay Revolutionary War debts.
Power to levy or collect taxes
This compromise allowed southern states to count a specific portion of their enslaved population for the purposes of both representation and taxation.
Found in Article VI, this clause establishes that the Constitution and federal laws rank above all state and local laws
Supremacy Clause
This 1794 event in Pennsylvania served as the first major test of federal authority and proved the government could enforce its laws.
Whiskey Rebellion
This major cause of the War of 1812 involved the British navy kidnapping American sailors and forcing them into service.
Impressment
This 1785 law established a system for dividing and selling land in the Northwest Territory, reserving one section of each township for public education.
Land Ordinance of 1785
This plan, introduced by William Paterson, sought to protect smaller states by maintaining a unicameral legislature where every state had one vote.
New Jersey Plan
This clause allows Congress to "stretch" its powers to meet modern needs by passing laws that are deemed "necessary and proper"
Elastic Clause
These controversial laws, passed during the John Adams administration, restricted the speech of government critics and targeted foreign-born residents.
Alien and Sedition Acts
This group of Congressmen, led by figures like Henry Clay, aggressively pushed for war with Britain in 1812 to defend American sovereignty and expand borders.
War Hawks
To make any changes or amendments to the Articles of Confederation, this many states were required to give their approval.
13 states (unanimous consent)
The framers created this system as a compromise to elect the president, balancing concerns between a direct popular vote and selection by Congress.
Electoral College
These types of powers, such as the power to tax, build roads, and establish courts, are shared by both the federal and state governments.
Concurrent Powers
As the first Secretary of the Treasury, he proposed an economic plan that included the federal assumption of state debts and the creation of a National Bank.
Alexander Hamilton
In this 1819 case, the Marshall Court ruled that Maryland could not tax the Second Bank of the United States, asserting federal supremacy over state actions.
McCulloch v. Maryland