Term
| Functions of a constitution (5) |
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Definition
1. Creates political institutions
2. Assigns or divides powers in government
3. Often provides certain guarantees to citizens
4. Includes an unwritten accumulation of tradition and precedents
5. Sets the broad rules of the game of politics |
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Term
| The Second Treatise of Civil Government |
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Definition
| One of John Locke's writings that influenced American political leaders |
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Definition
| the belief that people exist in a state of nature before governments arise, when they are governed only by the laws of nature. |
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| brings natural rights, which include life , liberty, and property |
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Definition
| clear restrictions on what rulers can do |
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| Sole purpose of government |
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Definition
| to protect natural rights |
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| What Locke believed about revolting |
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Definition
| people should not revolt until injustices become deeply felt |
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| was essentially a conservative movement that did not drastically alter the colonists' way of life. |
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| Primary goal of the Revolution |
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Definition
| to restore rights the colonists felt were already theirs as British subjects |
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Term
| Articles of Confederation(5) |
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Definition
established a nation legislature( the continental Congress) with one house
. States could send up to seven delegates, but each state had only one vote.
. The Continental Congress had few powers outside of maintaining an army and navy; it had no power to tax; and could not regulate commerce( which inhibited foreign trade and the development of a strong national economy).
2. There was no president and no national court.
3. The weakness of the national government prevented it from dealing with the problems that faced the new nation. |
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Term
| Changes in the states (3) |
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Definition
.increase in democracy and liberty for white males
.expanded political participation brought a new middle class to power, which included artisans and farmers who owned small homesteads.
.With expanded voting privileges, farmers and craft workers became a decisive majority; members of the old colonial elite saw their power shrink, and they didn't like it |
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Term
| Economic turmoil in the United States(3) |
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Definition
1. States had different currencies
2. States had laws that favored debtors
3. A few states adopted policies to help debtors, favoring them over creditors- some printed paper money and passed "force acts," requiring creditors to accept the almost worthless money |
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Term
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Definition
1. In 1786, a small group of farmers in western Massachusetts led by Captain Daniel Shays rebelled at losing their land to creditors.
2. A series of armed attacks on courthouses to prevent judges from foreclosing on farms.
3. Shays' Rebellion spurred the birth of the Consititution. |
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Term
| The Aborted Annapolis Meeting (2) |
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Definition
1. In September,1786, a small group of continental leaders assembled at Annapolis, Maryland, to consider the problem of commercial conflicts that had arisen among the sates.
@. only five states sent delegates, and they issued a call for a full-scale meeting of the sates in Philadelphia the following May. |
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Term
| Gentlemen in Philadelphia (3) |
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Definition
1. A select group of economic and political notables.
2. Men of wealth; many were college graduates.
3. most were from larger cites not rural areas |
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Term
| James Madison's beliefs (2) |
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Definition
. Madison believed that the distribution of wealth( property) is the source of political conflict
. he claimed that factions arise from the unequal distribution of wealth |
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Term
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Definition
. one faction is the majority ( composed of the many who have little or no property)
. the other faction is the minority (composed of the few who hold wealth) |
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Term
| Believes of the delegates(6) |
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Definition
. belief that people were self interested and that government should play a key role in checking and containing the natural self-interest of the people.
.The delegates believed that either a majority or a minority faction will be tyrannical if it goes unchecked and has too much power
.property must be protected against the tyrannical tendencies of faction
.The secret of good government is "balanced government"; as long as no faction could seize complete control of government, tyranny could be avoided |
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Definition
| proposed by William Paterson of New Jersey, called for each state to be equally represented in the new Congress |
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Definition
| suggested by Edmund Randolph of Virginia, called for representation in Congress based on the state's hare of the American population |
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| Connecticut Compromise ( Great Compromise) |
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Definition
| devised by Roger sherman and William Johnson of Connecticut , was the solution adopted by delegates that created a bicameral legislature |
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Definition
| the Senate would have two members from each state and the House of Representatives would have representation based on population. |
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