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33 Cards in this Set

  • Front
  • Back
Under common law what did women do?
Gave up their property rights at marriage, and were legally and economically under the control of their husbands.
How did black people seize opportunities for freedom?
Some white's rejection of slavery, the disruption of the war, and the needs of both sides for military power.
How did the state govts treat Indian lands after the Revolution?
As a prize of war to be distributed to white settlers.
What did the state's bill of rights do?
Set explicit limits on the power of govt to interfere in the lives of citizens.
What did the Articles of Confederation say?
1. each state had one vote in Congress
2. important measures as those dealing with war and peace required majority approval
3. changes to Articles requires unanimous consent
4. federal govt could only ask for states to pay taxes.
Who were the nationalists?
A group of congressmen, army officers, and public creditors who wanted to strengthen the Confederation at the expense of the states.
Who was Robert Morris?
Superintendent of finance for the Confederation that wanted to enhance national authority through a bold program of financial and political reform.
What was Shay's Rebellion?
Began in fall of 1786 because farmers wanted legilation not allowing creditors to seize farms in western Mass. Legislature refused passage and 2000 farmers took up arms and marched on the state arsenal.
What was the Land Ordinance of 1784?
Thomas Jefferson proposed to create 10 districts, each would apply for admission as a state when its population equaled that of free inhabitants in the least populated state.
What was the Ohio Company?
A group on New England speculators who bought a million and a half acres from Congress.
What did the Northwest Ordinance of 1787 do?
Created a political structure for the territories and phased process for achieving statehood that neatly blended public and private interests.
What did it take to become a state under the Nothwest Ordinance of 1787?
Once a territory had a population of 60,000, the settlers could draft a constitution and apply for statehood.
What did the Southwwest Ordinance of 1790 do?
Brought slavery under national control.
What did Spain refuse to the US?
Refused to recongize southern and western boundries and refused the right to navigate the entire length of the Mississippi River.
What was the Anapolis Convention?
When delegates from several states met in Anapolis, MD in Sept 1786 seeking to devise a uniform system of commercial regulation for the country.
What was the Constitutional Convention?
Leaders met in Philadelphia to forge an entirely new framework of governance, the Constitution of the United States, that called for a federal republic with a powerful and effective national govt
What was the first thing the Constitutional Convention did?
Elected George Washington as the convention's presiding officer.
Which state didn't send a delegate to Philadelphia?
Rhode Island
What was the Virginia Plan?
Drafted by James Madison. Replaced the Confederation Congress with a national govt organized like most state govts, with a bicameral legislation, an executative and a judiciary
What two features of the Virginia Plan stod out?
1. granted the national Congress the right to legislate.
2. made representation in both houses of Congress proportional to population.
What was the New Jersey Plan?
Introduced by William Patterson. Kept the basic structure of the Confederation Congress, one state one vote, but gave national govt the right to tax and regualate domestic and foreign commerce.
What was the Great Compromise?
Based on proposal by Roger Sherman. Small state were given equal footing in the upper house(Senate), in lower house (House of Representatives) number of seats was proportional to population.
What was the electorial college?
Each state was left free to determine how it would choose presidental electors equal to the number of its representatives and senators.
What were the prerogatives of the president?
Rank of commander and chief of the armed forces, the authority to conduct foreign affairs and negotiate treaties, the right to appoint diplomatic officers, and the power to veto congressional legislation.
What powers did the Constitution delegate to Congress?
The power to tax, borrow and coin money, regulate commerce, and raise armed forces.
What are checks and balances?
Competing blocks of power which limited each branch of the federal govt.
What is the power of judicial review?
The right of the Supreme Court to invalidate acts of Congress and the president that it found to be unconsitutional.
What is federalism?
The division of power between local and central authorities.
What did the last article of the Constitution stipulate?
That it would go into effect when it had been ratifies by at least nine states.
Who were Federalists?
Those who favored the new Constitution.
What were Antifederalists?
People opposed to the new Constitution.
Who was the first state to ratify the Constitution?
Deleware on Dec 7, 1787
What was the Federalist?
A group of essays written by Madison, Jay, and Hamilton to urge people to vote in favor of the new Constitution.