magna carta
a charter agreed to by King John of England that granted nobles certain rights and restricted the king’s powers
3/5ths compromise
the resolution to a dispute over how enslaved people should be counted within a population; provided that three-fifths of the enslaved people in a state would be counted when determining a state’s population
Anti federalists
a group of people who opposed the adoption of the U.S.
Constitution
a body of fundamental principles or established precedents according to which a state or other organization is acknowledged to be governed
Bill of rights
a series of 10 amendments to the Constitution ratified by the states that protect such rights as freedom of speech, press, and religion, as well as due process protections
Federalist papers
collection of essays on the principles of government written in defense of the Constitution in 1787 and 1788
Great Compromise
an agreement worked out at the Constitutional Convention establishing that a state’s population would determine representation in the lower house of the legislature, while each state would have equal representation in the upper house
English Bill of Rights
document signed by King William that stated that English monarchs would no longer be able to enact laws, raise taxes, or keep an army without Parliament’s consent
Northwest Ordinance
legislation passed by Congress to establish a plan for settling the Northwest Territory, which included areas that are now in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Minnesota, and Wisconsin.
Articles of Confederation
the document that created the first central government for the United States; it was replaced by the Constitution in 1789
Charter colony
colonies based on a grant of land by the British Crown to a company or a group of settlers