founding of us Flashcards
(34 cards)
Enligtenment
age of reason
• time when people started using
observation & science to determine how
things work
Declaration of
Independence
America’s letter telling England that we
were going to start our own country
Natural Rights
• life, liberty, pro• governments are created to protect natural
rights, if they don’t, people can start a new
Social Contract
• governments are created to protect natural
rights, if they don’t, people can start a new
government
• enlightenment ide
Sovereignty
the right to rule
Popular Sovereignty
the right to rule comes from the people
• synonym–democracy
Grievance
a reason for a complaint
Northwest Ordinance
• document created to govern the
Northwest Territory
• established several precedents for the US
Constitution
Territory
• an piece of land that is controlled by the
U.S., but that is not a state
Northwest Territory
• big piece of land that the US acquired after
the revolution
• what is now Ohio, Indiana, Illinois,
Wisconsin, & Michigan
Bill of Rights
• List of protections from the government
written into the US Constitution
• 1st 10 amendments to the US Constitution
Amendment
a change to a written document
• there are 27 Amendments to the U.S.
Constitution
13th Amendment
Ended Slavery
Constitution
a list of what the government can and
cannot do
Democracy
government run by the people
• based on majority rule
Republic
democracy where elected officials make
decisions on behalf of the people
Republicanism
representative democracy
• form of government the U.S. has
Monarchy
government run by a king or queen
Articles of
Confederation
America’s first constitution
• Failed because federal government was too
weak
Provision
a condition or requirement in a legal
document
Legislate
To make laws
Federal Government
national government (over entire country
Federalism
national & state governments share power
Federalists
supporters of the U.S. Constitution
• didn’t want a bill of rights
