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