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history ch.5
| term | definition |
|---|---|
| republic | A government in which the citizens rule through elected representatives. |
| Articles of Confederation | A document, adopted by the Second Continental Congress in 1777 and finally approved by the states in 1781, that outlined the form of government of the new United States. |
| confederation | An alliance permitting states or nations to act together on matters of mutual concern. |
| Land Ordinance of 1785 | A law that established a plan for surveying and selling the federally owned lands west of the Appalachian Mountains. |
| NW Ordinance of 1787 | A law that established a procedure for the admission of new states to the Union. |
| Shay’s Rebellion | An uprising of debt-ridden Massachusetts farmers protesting increased state taxes in 1787. |
| Great Compromise | 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 its population in the other house. |
| Three-Fifths Compromise | The Constitutional Convention’s agreement to count three-fifths of a state’s slaves as population for purposes of representation and taxation. |
| federalism | A political system in which a national government and constituent units, such as state governments, share power. |
| legislative branch | The branch of government that makes laws. |
| executive branch | The branch of government that administers and enforces the laws. |
| judicial branch | The branch of government that interprets the laws and Constitution. |
| checks and balances | The provisions in the U.S. Constitution that prevent any branch of the U.S. government from dominating the other two branches. |
| electoral college | A group selected by the states to elect the president and the vice-president, in which each state’s number of electors is equal to the number of its senators and representatives in Congress. |
| ratification | The official approval of the Constitution, or of an amendment, by the states. |
| Federalists | Supporters of the Constitution and of a strong national government. |
| Antifederalists | An opponent of a strong central government. |
| The Federalist | A series of essays defending and explaining the constitution, written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay. |
| Bill of Rights | The first ten amendments to the U.S Constitution, added in 1791 and consisting of a formal list of citizens’ rights and freedoms. |