Articles of Confederation
the first written plan of government for the United States
Northwest Territory
the area between the Ohio River, the Mississippi River, and the Great Lakes, ceded by Great Britain in the Treaty of Paris
Northwest Ordinance
a law passed by Congress in 1787 that specified how western lands would be governed
Constitutional Convention
meeting where delegates wrote the constitution, Philadelphia 1787
Enlightenment
Age of Reason" in Europe
republic
a country governed by elected representatives
constitution
a written plan for the basic forms of government
Great Compromise
the compromise creating a two-house Congress
Three-Fifths Compromise
the compromise saying that slaves counted as 3/5 of people
Electoral College
the group established by the Constitution to elect the president and vice president
ratify
to formally approve
the Federalist Papers
a series of essays written by James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and John Jay in support of the ratification of the Constitution by the states
liberal
supporting ideas of freedom, change, and progress
framework
a basic set of ideas used to develop a larger plan
contradiction
a difference between two statements or situations that means they cannot both be true