Creating the Constitution

There are six main principles of the constitution.

Popular Sovereignity

Power is recieved by the people.

Limited Government

Government is not all powerful.

Seperation of power

Three branches of government.

Checks and Balances

TO avoid any branch from becoming too powerful.

Judicial Review

To declare unjudt things unjust and effectivly remove them.

Federalism

Division of power of a central government.

Each state had different paper currency.

No national army or navy.

Congress lacked strong leadership.

No power to enforce laws.

Did not have the power to tax.

National Government could not force states to follow laws.

ALexander Hamilton

Believed the jealousy between states was caused by articles of confederation.

Was general George Washington's advisor.

John Jay

Became governor of New York.

First Chief Justice of the United States.

Negotiated the Jay Treaty, settling major grievences with Great Britain.

James Madison

Known as the father of the Constitution.

Wrote first drafts of the Constitution, co-wrote federalist papers, and sponsered the Bill of Rights.

Became president.

Antifederalists did not support the idea of a central government, out of fear of it becoming like England, with a king. Believed in strong state rights. They eventually become more popular and became known as the democrats.

Federalists believed in a centralized government as well as the idea of all all laws being enacted in every state rather than idividually. They also wanted a unified currency amongst the states.

Republic

Leaders get elected by the public.

Form of government where the head of state is not a monarch.

Bicameral Legislature

Practice of having two Legislative chambers compromise bills.

Northwest Terriory

Used to be set aside for the Indians

Organized incorperated territory of the United States.

Federal

A union of states under a centralized government.

Great Compromise

An agreement defining the sructure and representation each state would have.

3/5 Compromise

Compromise between North and South.

3/5 of the slaves were to be counted for representation purposes.

Federalism

Political concept in which a group is bound together in unity with a governing leader.

Virginia Plan

Proprosal by Virginia for a bicameral Legislature.

New Jersey Plan

Proposal to keep the one vote per state rule that had been set by the Articles of Confederation.

Ratification

Approval of something needed to legally do it.

Antifederalists

People against the federal government.

Checks and Balances

Allows for the branches to limit each others power, to ensure no single one grows too powerful.

Electoral College

Set of electors selected to evect a candidate to a specific office.

Bill of Rights

A list of the most important rights of a country.

Popular Sovereignity

Laws and other factors are controlled mainly by the people, rather than leaders or rulers.

Today the constitution is still in place, and the rules and principles are still effective. Just like back then, it has become a concern as to if our government is actually effective, or if it is in need of a change. Our government itself functions the same way outlined here, but may seem to have grown corrupted. People have begun to question its credibility.

Wrote a series of persuasive letters.

The Federalist Papers

Outmaneuvered people against the Constitution.