Articles of Confederation
This document, which created a "perpetual union," served as the first constitution of the United States.
What are the Articles of Confederation?
This was the location of the Constitutional Convention held to change the Articles of Confederation.
What is Philadelphia?
This group published critiques of the Constitution, fearing it created a national government that was too powerful and would reduce local power.
Who are the Anti-Federalists?
This term describes a smaller group within a larger one, which James Madison warned could be dangerous to liberty.
What is a faction?
The formal approval or adoption of a document like the Constitution.
What is ratification?
A primary fear that led Americans to create a weak central government.
What is the fear of tyranny/monarchy/previous experience with Great Britain?
This event, a farmer's uprising in Massachusetts, highlighted the weaknesses of the Articles and spurred calls for a stronger national government.
What is Shays' Rebellion?
This group argued that a large republic would actually be a defense against the dangers of factions.
Who are the Federalists?
A legislative act that punishes an individual without a judicial trial is known as this forbidden practice.
What is a Bill of Attainder?
To formally withdraw from a federation or body, especially a political state.
What is to Secede?
Under the Articles, Congress lacked these two crucial financial powers, making it difficult to pay debts or manage the economy.
What are the power to tax and the power to regulate interstate trade?
Delegates from southern states insisted that the new constitution must not interfere with this institution.
What is slavery?
A collection of 85 essays written to persuade New Yorkers to ratify the Constitution are known by this name.
What are the Federalists Papers?
This is the political danger that occurs when a dominant group uses its power to trample on the rights of those in the minority.
What is Majority Tyranny?
An organization which consists of a number of parties or groups united in an alliance or league.
What is a confederation?
A significant success of the government under the Articles was this plan for admitting new territories into the Union as states.
What is the Northwest Ordinance?
The Constitution required approval from this many states before it would officially go into effect.
What is Nine?
Anti-Federalists were concerned that the powers of the national government were written so broadly that they could become this.
What is unlimited (or effectively unlimited)?
Madison argued that this principle, along with a large republic, would control the effects of factions by preventing any one branch from becoming too dominant.
What are checks and balances?
This is forbidden by the Constitution, preventing the creation of a law criminalizing an action that was legal when committed.
What is an Ex Post Facto Law?
To amend the Articles of Confederation, this was the requirement.
What is unanimous approval by all 13 states.
The structure of the legislative branch, a two-house Congress, is known by this term.
What is Bicameral?
The addition of this, the first ten amendments, was a key compromise to address Anti-Federalist concerns and secure ratification.
What is the Bill of Rights?
The original Constitution contained several clauses protecting slavery, including this one for determining representation in Congress.
What is the 3/5th Compromise?
The Constitution forbids states from creating this, which is another term for their own currency.
What is coining money?