Unit 3 Vocabulary

Regulator Movement When people living in the backcountry(Upcountry) of South Carolina took the law into their own hands before courts were established in that section of the state.

Upcountry After the revolution the backcountry was called the Upcountry. The Upcountry is the area in the northwestern part of the state.

Lowcountry The lowcountry was the area that surrounded the city of Charleston along the Atlantic coast of S.C.

Subsistence Farmers They grow only enough food to provide for their families and rarely owned slaves.

Subsidies Bonuses or extra money

legislature Body of government responsible for making laws

Charleston Original capital of S.C.

Columbia Capital of S.C.

Reapportionment the act of redistributing or changing the apportionment of something

Articles of Confederation First form of government for the U.S.

Philadelphia Convention A meeting called to solve the problems of the government under the Articles of Confederation

Virginia Plan Representation would be based upon population. (Good for big states)

New Jersey Plan Representation would be equal regardless of size (good for small states)

Great Compromise Provided for equal representation in the Senate and proportional representation in the House of Representatives

Emancipate To free

Three-Fifths Compromise When determining population, slaves would be counted as 3/5 of a person.

Commerce Compromise The federal government would not tax exports or attempt to regulate the international slave trade for at least 20 years.

ratification To approve

Federalists Supported a STRONG federal, central government

Anti-federalists Were AGAINST a strong central government

Bill of Rights Individual rights (1st 10 amendments)

Constitution of the U.S. Established a limited government based on guarantee of individual rights

Popular sovereignty Democracy – the authority for government flows from the people.

Individual rights Unalienable rights are guaranteed to all citizens in the Preamble and the Bill of Rights

Federalism The federal system divides governmental powers between national government and the governments of the states.

Separation of Powers The structure of the new national government established three separate branches of government.

Checks and balances Each branch can check the power of the other.

Limited government Powers of the governments are restricted by the Constitution.

Representative democracy Voters hold the power but elect representatives to exercise power for them.

George Washington 1st president of the U.S.

Alexander Hamilton Secretary of the Treasury under Washington

Proclamation of Neutrality Issued by Washington saying that the U.S. would remain neutral in the Napoleonic Wars.

X,Y,Z Affair When 3 representatives of the French government tried to bribe 3 representatives of the U.S. government

Alien and Sedition Acts Designed to silence newspapers from printing material the government did NOT like

nullify To cancel or get rid of, not follow

impressment The British practice of pressing into service American sailors they claimed were British citizens.

Embargo Act Designed to stop American trade with both Britain and France