confederation		group of electors that are elected by the people to elect the President of the United States in every election year.
shay's rebellion		sections of land were similar to colonies for a while, and under the control of the Federal Government. Once a territory was inhabited by 60,000 then congress would admit it as a state.
large-state plan		The people of a country have to consent to be governed, otherwise they have the right to over-throw the government. This theory was coined by John Locke
primogeniture		To be ruled by a mob.
bundle of compromises		resolved that there would be representation by population in the House of Representatives, and equal representation would exist in the Senate. Each state, regardless of size, would have 2 senators. All tax bills and revenues would originate in the House
checks and balances		group of sovereign states, each of which is free to act independently from the others.
Great Compromise		wrote a report that called upon Congress to summon a convention to meet in Philadelphia the next year, not to deal with commerce alone but to bolster the entire fabric of the Articles of Confederation.
society of cincinnati		Nicknamed "the Father of the Constitution". he was sent to the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia on May 25, 1787; his notable contributions to the Constitution helped to convince the public to ratify it.
The federalist		An English law in colonial times that said only the eldest son of the parents could inherit a landed estate.
popular sovreignty		a nickname for the constitution
northwest ordinance		theory that the government was under the authority of the people it governs.
republicanism		A red letter law which stated that disputed land the Old Northwest was to be equally divided into townships and sold for federal income; promoted education and ended confusing legal disagreements over land.
federation		The first "constitution" governing the Untied States after the Revolution
federalists		Impoverished backcountry farmers, many of them Revolutionary war veterans, were losing their farms through mortgage foreclosures and tax delinquencies. They demanded cheap paper money, lighter taxes, and a suspension of mortgage fore closures. Hundreds of angry agitators attempted to enforce these demands.
Land Ordinance of 1785		a series of articles written in New York newspapers as a source of propaganda for a stronger central government. The articles, written by Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and James Madison, were a way for the writers to express their belief that it is better to have a stronger central government.
mobocracy		believed in advocating a strong federal government and fought for the adoption of the United States Constitution in 1787-1788.
Abigail adams		wife of second president John Adams. She attempted to get rights for the "Ladies" from her husband who at the time was on the committee for designing the Declaration of Independence.
states' rights		It was the plan purposed by Virginia to set up a bi-cameral congress based on population, giving the larger states an advantage. It was first written as a framework for the constitution.
James Madison		establishes a government with direct authority over all citizens, it defines the powers of the national government, and it establishes protection for the rights of states and of every individual.
Electoral college		the idea that people should have the right to rule themselves.
Alexander Hamilton		People against federalists in 1787; disagreed with the Constitution because they believed people's rights were being taken away without a Bill of Rights; also did not agree with annual elections and the non-existence of God in the government.
constitution of the united states		Group of Continental Army officers formed a military order in1783. They were criticized for their aristocratic ideals.
Articles of confederation		a black slave was counted as three-fifths of a person when they were counting the population.
consent of the governed		gave the states freedom to control their local affairs.
antifederalists		each state deserved certain rights that were not clearly defined in the constitution but were pertinent in democracy.
three-fifths compromise		is the principle of government under which separate branches are employed to prevent actions by the other branches and are induced to share power.