Articles of Confederation
The United States was this form of government under the Articles of Confederation, consisting of a loose alliance of sovereign states.
Confederacy
This country has a "non-written" constitution spread across court decisions, tradition, and acts of Parliament.
United Kingdom
A political philosophy advocating that government power is restricted by law, primarily by constitutions or other similar documents.
Limited government
This Amendment to the Constitution ensures that the government cannot establish a state religion, enshrining one belief system over others.
1st Amendment
This singular issue caused much disagreement between the northern and southern colonies and nearly resulted in a schism between the newly minted states.
Slavery
This conflict marked the official end of the Articles of Confederation and was spearheaded by farmers angry about over-taxation and debt.
Shays' Rebellion
Which amendments to the Constitution comprise the Bill of Rights?
The first ten amendments
The political theory which states that the best form of government is one in which citizens choose their representatives and leaders through free and fair elections.
Republicanism
This Amendment to the Constitution prevents the government from housing soldiers in your home.
3rd Amendment
Among the many reasons the American colonies chose to break ties with the British Empire, none were more important than this issue.
Taxation without representation
This was the primary weakness of the Articles of Confederation.
Weak and ineffective central government
The plan presented at the Constitutional Convention that favored small states by ensuring every state got a single vote in the legislature.
New Jersey Plan
A system in which each branch of government has power to check the other branches, ensuring one does not have too much power.
Checks and balances
This Amendment to the Constitution protects you against cruel or excessive punishments.
8th Amendment
This war was a critical catalyst to the American Revolution and the formation of the United States' government by plunging Great Britain into debt and forcing it to raise taxes on the American colonists.
French and Indian War
It took this number of states to ratify any changes or amendments to the Articles of Confederation.
The plan presented at the Constitutional Convention favoring large states with representation based upon population size.
Virginia Plan
Authority and power is derived from the people.
Popularity sovereignty
This Amendment to the Constitution has been interpreted to mean that you have certain privacy rights, like medical and marriage privacy.
4th Amendment
This period of history, marked by an increased reliance on science, critical thinking, and a move towards democracy, inspired the founding documents of our country, including both the Articles and the Constitution.
The Enlightenment
The Articles of Confederation were drafted from this Founding Father's notes and early plans.
Benjamin Franklin
This agreement made it so that enslaved Africans counted as less than a full person, but were still counted towards a state's total population when configuring representation in Congress.
3/5th Compromise
Fundamental rights guaranteed by the government so that every citizen can live a free and equitable life.
Individual rights
This Amendment to the Constitution ensures that the government cannot restrict your rights simply because it is not specifically written in the Constitution.
9th Amendment
This pamphlet, passed out amongst the American colonists in the lead up to the American colonies breaking with Great Britain, was designed to convince colonists to embrace self-rule and abolish their ties with the British Empire.
Common Sense