US Constitution: Formation and Key Concepts
Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union
The Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union established the United States of America as a national entity. Under modern American constitutional law, this concept means that US states are not permitted to overthrow the US Constitution and withdraw from the Union.
Northwest Ordinance
The Northwest Ordinance was an organic act of the Congress of the Confederation of the US.
Shays’ Rebellion
Shays’ Rebellion was an uprising led by former militia officer Daniel Shays, which broke out in western Massachusetts. Shays’ followers protested the foreclosures of farms for debt and briefly succeeded in shutting down the court system.
Constitutional Convention
A Constitutional Convention is a gathering for the purpose of writing a new constitution or revising an existing constitution. Members of a Constitutional Convention are elected by popular vote.
James Madison
James Madison was an American statesman, lawyer, Founding Father, and philosopher who served as the fourth president. He contributed significantly to the US Constitution and Bill of Rights.
Alexander Hamilton
Alexander Hamilton was an American statesman, politician, legal scholar, military commander, and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. He led the Federalists.
Virginia Plan
The Virginia Plan was a proposal by Virginia delegates for a bicameral legislative branch. The plan was drafted by James Madison.
New Jersey Plan
The New Jersey Plan favored giving control of the federal government to the states, not the people through their representatives. It proposed a unicameral legislature of only one house. It called for equal representation in which each state had the same number of representatives.
Connecticut Compromise
The Connecticut Compromise provided a dual system of congressional representation. It was an agreement that large and small states reached during the Constitutional Convention that in part defined the legislature structure and representation that each state would have under the US Constitution.
Three-Fifths Compromise
The Three-Fifths Compromise was a compromise reached among state delegates during the US Constitutional Convention. It outlined the process for states to count slaves as part of the population in order to determine representation and taxation for the federal government.
Branches of Government
- Executive: Carries out laws (President, Vice President, Cabinet, most federal agencies)
- Judicial: Evaluates laws (Supreme Court and other courts)
- Legislative: Makes laws (Congress, comprised of the House of Representatives and Senate)
Amendments
An Amendment is a minor change or addition designed to improve a piece of legislation.
Federalists
Federalists are people who advocate or support a system of government in which several states unite under a central authority.
Federalist Papers
The Federalist Papers are a collection of 85 articles and essays written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay.
Anti-Federalists
Anti-Federalists were people who opposed the ratification of the Constitution and allied with Thomas Jefferson’s Anti-Federal Party, which opposed the extension of the powers of the federal government.
Bill of Rights
The Bill of Rights comprises the first 10 amendments to the US Constitution, guaranteeing rights such as the freedoms of speech, assembly, and worship.