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APUSH Confederation and Constitution Study Guide: Test 5

John Dickinson: (Anti-Federalist) He wrote a series of articles in 1767-68 called “Letters from a
Farmer in Penn.” He attacked the “excesses and outrages” of the British ministry.
Confederation: The first constitution in the United States that laid the first framework of its
national government.
Articles of Confederation: The first governing document in America that went into action in
1781.
● Strengths: Got America through the Revolutionary War. Settled Controversies.
Established the Northwest Ordinance. Each state was represented equally.
● Weaknesses: The government was not able to tax the states. Too much was put on the
state. The government was weak. There were many disputes because there weren’t
separate branches yet. Congress was unfunded. Each state printed their own currency,
and that was confusing. Rhode Island never contributed to anything.
Treaty of Paris 1783: Ended the Revolutionary War by making the Redcoats leave America. It
shocked the world and gave America independence. It did create border conflicts in the North,
but it also gained Northwest territory.
Unicameral: “Having a single legislature or house.” Only a few states- Penn., Georgia, and
Vermont- had unicameral legislatures, but they all switched to Bicameral soon.
Northwest Territory: This territory was gained through the Treaty of Paris 1783.
Ordinance of 1784: A preliminary plan for governing the Northwest territory. It was later
expanded through the Northwest Ordinance. It was drafted by Thomas Jefferson. It outlined the
initial idea for dividing the Northwest territory into states, but lacked specific details on
government structure and statehood processes.
Northwest Ordinance of 1785: Established a system of surveying and selling public lands in the
Northwest territory. Divided the lands into townships/sections, and outlined the process for
future states to be formed from that territory.
Northwest Ordinance of 1787: Established a plan for governing the Northwest territory.
Outlined a process for admitting new states to the Union from that territory. Prohibited slavery
within the region while also guaranteeing certain civil liberties to the settlers.
● Main effects of the Ordinances were: equal footing for states, banning slavery, gaining
religious freedom, emphasizing education, and dividing the land into acres.
(Mrs. Anderson said she isn’t going to ask us the differences of the two Ordinances.)
Newburgh Conspiracy: Plan by the Continental Army officers to challenge the authority of the
Confederation Congress, arising from their frustration with Congress’s long-standing inability to
meet its financial obligations to the military. Washington ended it because of his use of pathos
(spectacles) because the people were tired of constant logic.
Shay’s Rebellion: A series of violent protests in 1786-87 by farmers against state and local
enforcement of tax collections and judgements for debt. Primarily took place in the
Massachusetts countryside. Promoted the need for a new Constitution.
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Annapolis Convention: A meeting organized by Virginia in 1786 led by James Madison in

hopes to discuss the issue of controlling commerce. Hamilton met Madison and planned a
Constitutional Convention.
Roger Sherman: (Diplomat) Brought forth the Great Compromise. Signed many of America’s
important documents.
Virginia Plan: (Madison’s Plan) A proposal for the structure of the United States government
that was presented at the Constitutional Convention. It established that states were represented in
Congress based on their population. Presented the idea of a Bicameral legislature. Written by
James Madison and proposed by Edmund Randolph.
● The key features were: a strong national government, a Bicameral legislature, the
separation of powers, and checks and balances.
Bicameral: Established two houses of Congress, Senate and House of Representatives.
New Jersey Plan: Desired continual representation in each individual state.
Connecticut Compromise: Called the Great Compromise. Composed by Roger Sherman. This
was a compromise between the Virginia Plan and the New Jersey Plan, which had to do with
representation.
● Parts of it were: The Government had two houses, created our Congress, resolved trade
issues, made the ⅗ Compromise, and established the Electoral College.
Electoral College: Elects the president.
Limited Government: Theory of governance that restricts the power of the government through
laws and constitution. Officials are restrained in some way so that they don’t abuse their power.
Separation of Powers: Divided the government into three branches, each with their own
responsibilities and power, to prevent any branch from becoming too powerful.
Checks and Balances: A principle in the Constitution that said each branch has a way they can
stop another branch.
Federalism: Argued for a stronger government
● Called Federalists
● Loose Constructionist: (Hamilton was the leader) Believed that the Constitution should
be interpreted in a flexible way to meet the needs of the present day.
Anti-Federalists: Argued that a more powerful government threatened liberty and the people’s
rights. They also didn’t want rulers from far-away states because they thought that
communication would be hard for a central government with areas that are so far from each
other. They were also concerned with the Bill of Rights.
● Strict Constructionists: (Jefferson was the leader) Believed that the government should
only exercise powers explicitly stated in the Constitution.
Popular Sovereignty: A political doctrine that gives power to decide on slavery in a territory to
the residents of that territory, rather than a federal government. “The power of the government
comes from the people.”
● “When was the United States Constitution signed by a majority of delegates?”
● September 17, 1787
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The Federalist [Papers]”: A collection of essays that urged the ratification of the Constitution.
Written by James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and John Jay.
Publius: The pen-name that the authors of the Federalist [Papers] went under, and it
represented the idea of a republic without a king.
Washington’s Cabinet: The members were chosen to balance the two parties.
● Thomas Jefferson: Secretary of State (responsible for foreign affairs)
● Alexander Hamilton: Secretary of Treasury (responsible for the federal government’s
financial and monetary matters)
● Henry Knox: Secretary of War (responsible for the war department and military affairs)
● Edmund Randolph: Attorney General (responsible for the legal matters of the
government and serving as the president’s chief legal adviser)
Judiciary Act of 1789: Established a federal court system and separated it from state courts. It
was one of the first acts of Congress and was established by Washington. The main effects were:
establishing the Supreme Court, establishing lower federal courts, defining the jurisdiction of
federal courts, defining the qualifications of federal officials.
Bill of Rights: (1791) The primary author was Madison. The first 10 Amendments of the
Constitution. It spells out Americas’ rights in relation to their government.
First Amendment Rights: Freedom of speech, press, religion, assembly, and petition
Hamilton’s Plan: Fought for the National Bank and funding and assuming debt. Established the
new parties: Federalist and Anti-Federalists. It also said that the government should support new
industries.
National Bank: Served as a central financial institution for the young nation by managing
government funds, issuing currencies, and facilitating commerce across the states.
Democratic Republicans: Founded by Madison and Jefferson. Believed in equal rights,
individual liberty, free trade, and free markets.
Proclamation of Neutrality 1793: Washington declared this when he was president so that he
would not get involved in the war with France and Spain.
Citizen Genet: Recruited people for the French Revolution.
Whiskey Rebellion: This was a revolt against the raised whiskey prices and Washington
responded to this by leading troops himself to say that violence and rebellion is not the way they
should handle political disputes.
John Jay: Resolved territory differences. First Chief of Justice in the US.
Jay’s Treaty: The purpose was to dissolve unresolved disputes with Britain after the revolution,
mainly Britain's occupation of forts and interference with shipments.
Daniel Boone: (Pioneer/Trailblazer) He helped to create the Wilderness Road that helped people
settle West.
Quasi War: Like the Cold War in the way that it was extremely tense but violence never broke
out. A conflict with France because of the harassment of shipment.
● John Adams negotiated to not break out into fighting.
XYZ Affair: The government sent 3 ambassadors to France to negotiate differences but France
responded very disrespectfully which made lots of people mad at France.
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Alien Act: Raised residency requirements for citizenship from 5-14 years, authorized the
president to deport aliens, and permitted their arrest.
Sedition Act: Made it a crime for American citizens to print, utter, or publish any false or rude
things about the government. The trials set off a firestorm of criticism against the Federalists and
contributed to their defeat in the Election of 1800.
● Both the Alien and Sedition Acts were against the Democratic Republicans.
Kentucky Resolutions: Written by Jefferson and Madison and it responded to the Alien and
Sedition Acts and argued that the Sedition Acts were unconstitutional.
Virginia Resolutions: Another response to the Alien and Sedition Acts that was drafted in secret
by Madison and Jefferson. This also deemed the acts unconstitutional and said that states had the
right to determine the federal government.
Treaty of Alliance of 1778: A military alliance with France that said the U.S. would defend
France if Great Britain decided to attack them.
James Madison: Father of the Constitution.
Bundle of Compromises: Great Compromise, Connecticut Compromise, ⅗ Compromise,
Electoral College, Constitutional Principles, and ratification
Constitutional Principles: republican, separation of powers, checks and balances, federalism,
limited government, and popular sovereignty
Washington’s Farewell Address: He warned against foreign affairs, set the precedent for
serving no longer than two terms, advised not to get involved with politics, established the
morals of the government, and he wanted to keep problems from happening in the future. This
ended monarchy in America.
● “What was the Biblical principle that influenced the Constitution?”
● The idea that men are sinful.
Washington’s Challenges: The country was very new so he had to set the standards (“So help
me God,” cabinet, Mr. President, and two terms). The foreign affairs and beginnings of political
parties were difficult as well.
John Marshall: Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and he was important in making key
decisions in the supreme court.
Nullify: Said that a law is not valid and will not be enforced.
Essential Review Questions:
● “Where was the shot heard ‘round the world?”
● Concord
● “What was the battle that was the turning point for the War for Independence?”
● Battle of Saratoga
● “Who was the primary commander of the Continental Army?”
● George Washington

● “What was the battle that ended the American Revolution?”

● Battle of Yorktown
● “What treaty ended the Revolutionary War?”
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● Treaty of Paris 1783

● “Who signed the treaty?”
● Franklin, Jay, and Adams
● “What was the first governing document of the U.S.?”
● Articles of Confederation
● “Who was the Father of the Constitution?”
● James Madison
● “Who wrote the Federalist [Papers]?”
● Madison, Hamilton, Jay
● “What was the pen name the authors were under?”
● Publius
Lovely Diagram for the Confused…..

Insert break of
Debate
over

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Made by yours truly thank you very 😘😘much