Chapter 8: Creating the Constitution 8th Grade U.S. History

The United States After the Revolution

1. Compromise A settlement of differences by mutual concessions

2. How did Americans feel about a central government? They feared that a central government would take away the rights they fought for

3. What were the Articles of Confederation? The first written plan of government f0r the United States Each state had 1 vote Congress could declare war and print money Congress was unable to impose taxes

4. Where is the Northwest Territory ? A region of the U.S. bounded by the Ohio and Mississippi rivers and the Great Lakes

5. What is the Land Ordinance of 1785? Law that divided the Northwest Territory into smaller territories called townships 6 sq miles by 6 sq miles It affected the Northwest territory

6. What was the Northwest Ordinance of 1787? Divided the northwest into smaller territories with a governor 5,000 free adult males = elect own legislature 60,000 people = apply to become a state

7. What impact did Shays’s Rebellion have on the government? Delegates met in Philadelphia in May 1787 Intended to revise the Articles of Confederation bb 9

8. What was the Constitutional Convention? Started: May 25, 1787 Meeting at which delegates would end up writing the U.S. Constitution

9. Who was James Madison? From Virginia He was the best prepared delegate at the Constitutional Convention “The father of the Constitution”

10. What was the Virginia Plan? Drafted by James Madison To have a strong central government with 3 branches/parts Legislative branch (Congress) = make laws Executive branch = carry out laws Judicial branch/courts = apply and interpret laws

11. How was Congress to be under the Virginia Plan? Made up of two houses: The House of Representatives The Senate A state’s population would determine the number of lawmakers to represent that state in Congress

12. What was the New Jersey Plan? Like the Virginia plan, it called for a central government with the same three branches

13. How was Congress different under the N.J. Plan? Instead of two houses, there would only be one house Each state would have an equal vote in Congress, regardless of the state’s size

14. What was the Great Compromise? Agreement on how both the people and the states would be represented in Congress House of Representative = represent the people (based on the state’s population) The Senate = represents the states (two senators for each state)

15. What was the three-fifths compromise? Determined that enslaved persons would count as three-fifths of a person to determine a state’s population

16. What is the Electoral College? Group established by the Constitution to elect the president and vice president

17. What is ratify? To formally approve a plan or an agreement

18. Who were the Federalists? Supporters of the Constitution. James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and John Jay led the Federalist campaign

19. The Federalist Papers A series of newspaper essays written by Madison, Alexander, and Jay explaining how the Constitution would remedy the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation

20. Who were the anti-Federalist? Opponents of the Constitution Argued that the plan listed the powers of Congress but not the rights of the people