Chapter 8

Front 1

Articles of Confederation

Back 1

The First American constitution established the United States as a loose confederation of states under a weak national Congress which was not granted the power to regulate commerce or collect taxes. Replaced by a more efficient Constitution in 1789.

Front 2

Old Northwest

Back 2

These related to an immense part of the public domain recently acquired from the states This area of land lay northwest of the Ohio River, east of the Mississippi River, and south of the Great Lakes.

Why: The well-organized management and sale of the land in the territories under the land ordinances of 1785 and 1787 established a precedent for handling future land acquisitions.

Front 3

Land Ordinance of 1785

Back 3

The first of these red-letter laws provided for the sale of land in the Old Northwest and earmarked the proceeds toward repaying the national debt.

Why: The sixteenth section of each township was set aside to be sold for the benefit of the public schools—a priceless gift to education in the Northwest. The orderly settlement of the Northwest Territory, where the land was methodically surveyed and titles duly recorded, contrasted sharply with the chaos south of the Ohio River, where uncertain ownership was the norm and fraud was rampant.

Front 4

Northwest Ordinance

Back 4

Created a policy for administering the Northwest Territories. It included a path to statehood and forbade the expansion of slavery into the territories(1787)

Why: This law came to grips with the problem of how a nation should deal with its colonies—the same problem that had bedeviled the king and Parliament in London. The solution provided by the Northwest Ordinance was a judicious compromise: temporary tutelage, then permanent equality.

Front 5

Shay’s Rebellion

Back 5

The desperate debtors demanded that the state issue paper money, lighten taxes, and suspend property takeovers. Hundreds of angry agitators, again seizing their muskets, attempted to enforce their demands. Though quickly put down, the insurrection inspired fears of “mob rule” among leading Revolutionaries.

Why: Armed uprising of western Massachusetts debtors seeking lower taxes and an end to property foreclosures.

Front 6

Virginia Plan

Back 6

“Large state” proposal for the new constitution, calling for proportional representation in both houses of a bicameral Congress.

Why: The plan favored larger states and thus prompted smaller states to come back with their own plan for apportioning representation.

Front 7

New Jersey Plan

Back 7

“Small-state plan” was put forth at the Philadelphia convention, proposing equal representation by state, regardless of population, in a unicameral legislature.

Why: Small states feared that the more populous states would dominate the agenda under a proportional system.

Front 8

Great Compromise

Back 8

A popular term for the measure that reconciled the New Jersey and Virginia Plans at the Constitutional Convention, giving states proportional representation in the House and equal representation in the Senate.

Why: Broke the stalemate at the convention and paved the way for subsequent compromises over slavery and the Electoral College.

Front 9

Common law

Back 9

Laws originate from court rulings and customs, as opposed to legislative statutes. But grew out of the Anglo-American common law tradition and thus provided only a general organizational framework for the new federal government during the Second United States Constitution.

It mostly provided a flexible guide to broad rules of procedure, rather than a fixed set of detailed laws. The original (unamended) Constitution contained just seven articles and ran to about ten printed pages.

Front 10

Civil law

Back 10

Body of written law enacted through legislative statutes or constitutional provisions. In countries where civil law prevails, judges must apply the statutes precisely as written.

Front 11

Three-fifths compromise

Back 11

Determined that each slave would be counted as three-fifths of a person for the purpose of apportioning taxes and representation. The compromise granted disproportionate political power to southern slave states.

Front 12

Electoral College

Back 12

The mechanism for electing presidents of the United States. Each state has a number of electors equal to its total number of senators and representatives. These electors are chosen by the voters, and they, in turn, select the president—creating “indirect” presidential elections.

Front 13

Antifederalists

Back 13

Opponents of the 1787 Constitution, cast the document as antidemocratic, objected to the subordination of the states to the central government, and feared encroachment on individuals’ liberties in the absence of a bill of rights.

Front 14

Federalists

Back 14

Proponents of the 1787 Constitution, favored a strong national government, arguing that the checks and balances in the new Constitution would safeguard the people’s liberties.

Front 15

The Federalist

Back 15

Collection of essays written by John Jay, James Madison, and Alexander Hamilton and published during the ratification debate in New York to lay out the federalists’ arguments in favor of the new Constitution. Since their publication, these influential essays have served as an important source for constitutional interpretation.

Front 16

Society of Cincinnati

Back 16

Exclusive, hereditary organization of former officers in the Continental Army. Many resented the pretentiousness of the order, viewing it as a vestige of pre-Revolutionary traditions.

Front 17

Disestablished

Back 17

To separate an official state church from its connection with the government. Following the Revolution, all states disestablished the Anglican Church, though some New England states maintained established Congregational Churches well into the nineteenth century.

Front 18

Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom

Back 18

Measure enacted by the Virginia legislature prohibiting state support for religious institutions and recognizing freedom of worship. Served as a model for the religion clause of the First Amendment to the Constitution.

Front 19

Civic virtue

Back 19

Willingness on the part of citizens to sacrifice personal self-interest for the public good. Deemed a necessary component of a successful republic.

Front 20

Republican motherhood

Back 20

Ideal of family organization and female behavior after the American Revolution that stressed the role of women in guiding family members toward republican virtue.

Front 21

Daniel Shay

Back 21

(1747-1825) Revolutionary War veteran who led a group of debtors and impoverished backcountry farmers in a rebellion against the Massachusetts government in 1786, calling for paper money, lighter taxes, and an end to property seizures for debt. Though quickly put down, the rebellion raised the specter of mob rule, precipitating calls for a stronger national government.

Front 22

Patrick Henry

Back 22

(1736-1799) American revolutionary and champion of states’ rights, he became a prominent antifederalist during the ratification debate, opposing what he saw as despotic tendencies in the new national constitution.