republic
A government in which the people elect representatives to govern
republicanism
The idea that governments should be based on the consent of the people
Articles of Confederation
The set of laws that established the first government of the United States
confederation
A loose alliance of states
Land Ordinance of 1785
A law that set up a plan for surveying land west of the Appalachian Mountains
Northwest Ordinance of 1787
Law that organized the Northwest Territories
Shays's Rebellion
Anti-tax protest by farmers
Roger Sherman
Delegate who developed the Great Compromise
Great Compromise
Compromise made by Constitutional Convention in which states would have equal representation in one house of the legislature and representation based on population in the other house
Three-Fifths Compromise
Compromise that allowed states to count three-fifths of their slaves as part of the population
federalism
The division of power between the federal and state governments
legislative branch
The branch of government that makes laws
executive branch
The branch of government that enforces the laws
judicial branch
The branch of government that interprets the laws and the Constitution
checks and balances
Powers given to separate branches of government to keep any one from getting too much power
Electoral College
A group selected to elect the president, in which each state's number of electors is equal to the number of its senators and representatives in Congress
ratification
Official approval of the Constitution
Federalists
Supporters of the new Constitution
Antifederalists
People opposed to ratification of the new Constitution
The Federalist
Essays written by the Federalist leaders that defended the Constitution
Bill of Rights
Set of amendments passed to protect individual rights
tariff
Tax on imported goods
