Early Influences
These local gatherings in New York's neighbor, New England, allowed citizens to participate directly in government.
What are New England town meetings?
This was the name of the first constitution of the United States.
What are the Articles of Confederation?
Under the Three-Fifths Compromise, this many enslaved people would count as three free people.
What is five?
This principle means that the people hold the final power in the government.
What is Popular Sovereignty?
The Bill of Rights consists of this many amendments
What is the first ten?
These two English documents inspired early American ideas about limited government
What are the Magna Carta and the English Bill of Rights?
Because Americans feared tyranny like they faced under Britain, the Articles created this kind of central government.
What is a WEAK central government?
This plan for the legislature was liked by large states because representation was based on population.
What is the Virginia Plan?
This is the sharing of power between the national government and the state governments.
What is federalism?
The First Amendment protects these five freedoms.
What are religion, speech, press, assembly, and petition?
This 1620 document is an example of a colonial practice that influenced the U.S. government.
What is the Mayflower Compact?
This Massachusetts rebellion by farmers proved the Articles were too weak because there was no national army to stop it.
What is Shays' Rebellion?
This plan was favored by small states because it called for equal representation for every state.
What is the New Jersey Plan?
These are powers kept specifically by the states, such as setting up schools.
What are reserved powers?
This group was AGAINST the Constitution because they feared it gave the national government too much power
Who are the Anti-Federalists?
This "House" in Virginia provided an early example of representative government in the colonies.
What is the Virginia House of Burgesses?
This 1787 law established the process for how new states would be formed and join the union.
What is the Northwest Ordinance?
This "Great" agreement created a two-house legislature with one house based on population and the other having two reps per state.
What is the Great Compromise?
This system ensures that no one branch of government becomes too powerful by allowing branches to limit each other.
What are Checks and Balances?
This group was IN FAVOR of the new Constitution and wanted a strong central government.
Who were the federalists?
This Connecticut document is considered one of the first written constitutions in the colonies.
What are the Fundamental Orders of Connecticut?
Under the Articles, Congress had the power to do this, which includes things like the postal service and coining money.
What is manage Native American affairs (or make treaties/alliances)?
This compromise decided how enslaved people would be counted for representation and taxation
What is the Three-Fifths Compromise?
This clause allows Congress to "stretch" its delegated powers to do what is "necessary and proper".
What is the Elastic Clause?
These two men were leading Anti-Federalists who fought for individual liberties.
Who are Thomas Jefferson and Samuel Adams?