Chapter 7: The First Republic 1776-1789
Annapolis Convention
conference of state delegates at Annapolis, Maryland, that issued a call in September 1786 for a convention to meet at Philadelphia to consider fundamental changes
Constitutional Convention
convention that met in Philadelphia in 1787 and drafted the Constitution of the United States
fiscal crisis
creditors and debtors at odds involving the state legislatures
checks and balances
each of the three branches of government has the ability to restrain the other two
judicial review
federal courts have the power to review acts of the federal government and to cancel any acts that are unconstitutional
limited government
government has only as much authority as the people give it
separation of powers
government power is divided between the legislative, executive, and judicial branches to prevent the misuse of power
nationalists
group of leaders in the 1780s who spearheaded the drive to replace the Articles of Confederation with a stronger central government
Virginia Plan
proposal calling for a national legislature in which the states would be represented according to population
New Jersey Plan
proposal of the New Jersey delegation for a strengthened national government in which all states would have an equal representation in a unicameral legislature
ratification of Constitution
required 9 states to agree to the Constitution for it to become law
right of deposit
right to transfer cargoes to ocean-going vessels (United States needed this in New Orleans from Mississippi River)
popular sovereignty
the government receives its power from the people and can govern only with their assent
suffrage
the right to vote in a political election
federalism
the sharing of powers between the national government and the states
Constitution of the U.S.
the written document providing for a new cenral government of the United States
Articles of Confederation
written document setting up the loose confederation of states that comprised the first national government of the United States
Daniel Shays
Revolutionary War veteran who led Shay's Rebellion in Massachusetts
judicial review
a power implied in the Constitution that gives federal courts the right to review and determine the constitutionality of acts passed by Congress and state legislature
Federalists
a supporter of the Constitution who favored its ratification
"legislative despotism"
abuse of power by tyrannical law makers
"ambition must be made to counter ambition" James Madison
accepted politics would be self-serving and set up system of checks and balances to balance each other
Phillis Wheatley
acclaimed African American poet, first poems published in 1773
Land Ordinance (1785)
act passed by Congress under the Articles of Confederation that created the grid system of surveys by which all subsequent public land was made available for sale
Shays' Rebellion
an armed movement of debt-ridden farmers in western Massachusetts in the winter of 1786-7. The rebellion created a crisis atmosphere
Religious pluralism
lacking religious uniformity; checked legislative efforts to impose religious taxes or designate any denomination as the established church in state constitutions after the revolution
Slavery
left in between national and state sovereignty in the Constitution, so not solved until Civil War
Southwest Ordinance (1790)
legislation passed by Congress that set up a government with no prohibition on slavery in U.S. territory south of the Ohio River
Northwest Ordinance (1787)
legislation that prohibited slavery in the Northwest Territories and provided the model for the incorporation of future territories into the union as coequal states
Republicanism
legitimate political authority derives from the people, political rights limited to those who owned property
patriarchal
men head of society - politics and public life
Antifederalists
opponents of the Constitution in the debate over its ratification
Debtor
owe money
Creditor
owed money
"Great Compromise"
plan proposed at the 1787 Constitutional Convention for creating a national bicameral legislature in which all states would be equally represented in the Senate and proportionally represented in the House
federalism
power is divided between a central government and smaller governments; central government is powerful enough to be effective, but not too powerful to threaten the rights of states and individuals
executive power
power of the President