Constitutional Convention Review
Virginia Plan
"Large state" proposal for the new constitution, calling for proportional representation in both houses of a bicameral Congress. The plan favored larger states and thus prompted smaller states to come back with their own plan for apportioning representation
Northwest Ordinance
1787 law that set up a government for the Northwest Territory and a plan for admitting new states to the Union
How many states had to vote against a law to stop it from being passed?
5 states
How many states had to vote to pass a law under the Articles of Confederation?
9 out of 13
representation
A basic principle of traditional democratic theory that describes the relationship between the few leaders and the many followers.
Great Compromise
A compromise that proposed two houses of Congress; one where a state's population would determine representation and another where all states were represented equally
New Jersey Plan
A framework for the Constitution proposed by a group of small states; its key points were a one-house legislature with one vote for each state, the establishment of the acts of Congress as the "supreme law" of the land, and a supreme judiciary with limited power.
Land Ordinance
A law that divided much of the United States into a system of townships to facilitate the sale of land to settlers.
Constitutional Convention
A meeting held in 1787 to consider changes to the Articles of Confederation; resulted in the drafting of the Constitution.
What was the Virginia Plan? Who liked it?
A plan that proposed a legislature with two houses. Representation was based on wealth and population. (Proposed by Edmund Randolph, James Madison, and the Virginia delegates) The larger states liked this plan.
What was the New Jersey Plan? Who liked it?
A single legislative house with equal representation for each state. The smaller states liked this plan.
federalism
A system of government in which a written constitution divides power between a central, or national, government and several regional governments.
federalist
A term used to describe supporters of the Constitution during ratification debates in state legislatures.
Three-Fifths Compromise
Agreement reached at the Constitutional Convention stipulating that each slave was to be counted as three-fifths of a person for purposes of determining population for representation in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Annapolis Convention
Delegates from five states met to promote trade among the states.
What was the Three-Fifths Compromise?
Enslaved people would be counted as 3/5 of a person for both taxation and representation.
Bill of Rights
First ten amendments to the Constitution, drafted by Madison, placed limitations of government and protects natural rights.
What did the Articles of Confederation fail?
It established a weak central government, states would sent delegation to capital once a year, right to declare war, raise armies, and sign treaties, and could not impose taxes to regulate trade. It had many problems that needed to be fixed.
antifederalist
Opponents of ratification of the Constitution and of a strong central government, generally.
Why did the Constitutional Convention take place?
The Constitutional Convention took place because there were many problems with the Articles of Confederation, so they needed to create a new constitution.
What was the compromise on the slave trade?
The nation could not ban the slave trade for twenty years, but after twenty years, they could do whatever they wanted.
Why might this be a problem?
The people had a choice to pay, and most people did not want to pay.
Who has all the power in the Articles of Confederation?
The people have the power.
Why did the political leaders make the national government so weak?
They did not want the government to become like a monarchy.
How is the national government supposed to obtain soldiers under the Articles of Confederation?
They have to obtain soldiers from the states.
Articles of Confederation
This document, the nation's first constitution, was adopted by the Second Continental Congress in 1781 during the Revolution. The document was limited because states held most of the power, and Congress lacked the power to tax, regulate trade, or control coinage.
What is a compromise?
This is an agreement in which each side gives up some demands or makes concessions.
How is this a problem?
This makes it so that the government has so little power, and can not do anything.
ratify
To approve
What was the wake-up call that showed the government needed to be changed?
When Shay's Rebellion happened and they realized that they had no power.
Central Government
a form of government in which the national government has most of the power, while the states have little power
Define "ratify."
agree; give consent to, and make officially valid.
Roger Sherman
encouraged the great compromise
How is the national government supposed to obtain money under the Articles of Confederation?
from the people
Alexander Hamilton
led the effort to convene the convention
What was the Great Compromise? Explain.
the Constitutional Convention's agreement to establish a two-house national legislature, with all states having equal representation in one house and each state having representation based on it's population in the other house
George Washington
the president of Constitutional Convention
Who is protected by this voting system?
the states
James Madison
wrote the Bill of Rights