Chapter 7 Vocab

1. Critical period: Period of time after the revolutionary war where

the US was changing its structures of government and dealing
with the depression

2. Robert Morris: Superintendent of Finance – head of the

government under the Articles of Confederation. Focused on
straightening central power.

3. Coup d’etat: During a part of the critical period a coup

threatened to erupt when soldiers were not paid. George
Washington stopped this through the power of his speech.

4. Newburgh Conspiracy: Coup and conspiracy that wanted the

soldiers to be paid and give more power to congress
5. Land Ordinance of 1785: Created a grid pattern over areas in the
NW territories. This system was set up by Thomas Jefferson,
which reflects the ideas of self-governing regions in the NW.

6. Squatter: A person who occupies land without owning it

7. NW Ordinance: Drafted new states and freed slaves above the

Mason-Dixon line. The states of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan,
and Wisconsin were created 1787. A bill of rights was also
included.

8. Habeas Corpus: Right included in the NW Ordinance of 1787. This

guaranteed the right for those in jail to know their charges.

9. Tariff: Taxes on imported and foreign goods. Craftsmen in the US

who viewed foreign goods as competition encouraged these
taxes.

10. Legal tender: Coins or

papers used as money. The issue in the critical period was the
differing legal tenders that existed over states.

11. Shay’s Rebellion: Revolt led

by Daniel Shays. He was a destitute and impoverished soldier
who had not received pay from the war and attacked a military
ammo dump. His rebellion was put down but his actions
encouraged a revision of the Articles of Confederation, which led
to the creation of the Constitution.

12. Federalists: Early political

group and party that focused on “the virtue of the few” as
opposed to society as a whole. Encouraged greater power to
 central government as opposed to states.

13. Annapolis Convention

(1786): First convention dedicated to a revision of the Articles or
writing of a new document. The convention then moved to
Philadelphia

14. Constitutional Convention

(5/25 – 9/17/1787): Established by delegates / founding fathers
to revise the articles. This eventually led to the creation of the
constitution.

15. Patrick Henry: Virginia

Delegate who left due to opposition to the central government
and wanted more state’s rights.
16. James Madison: Delegate
from Virginia who played an active role in the development of
the constitution along with Hamilton.

17. Checks and Balances:

System designed to limit power of branches the government
using the power from the other branches

18. Virginia Plan and the New

Jersey Plan. The Virginia plan called for the writing of a new
document containing branches of governments, a 2 house
congress, and a national government. New Jersey’s plan was to
keep equal representation in the article of confederation but
power to congress.

19. Great Compromise (1787):

Deal, which led to the creation of a two-house congress. One
house was focused on popular representation while the other
house (Senate) used equal representation. Led to the 3/5
compromise where slaves counted 3/5 of a person.

20. Ex post facto: laws adopted

after a crime to criminalize deeds already committed

21. Anti-Federalists: Precursor

to the Democratic Party. This group focused on States rights and
against a strong central government.

22. Charles Beard: wrote a

book in 1913 called An Economic Interpretation of the
Constitution of the United States. He argued that the founding
father’s financial interests and motives motivated the structuring
of the Constitution.
23. The Federalist (1787,
1788): A series of papers by Madison, Hamilton, and others that
interpreted the constitution. These favored strong government.

24. Alexander Hamilton:

Founding father who took great part in the creation of the
constitution. Eventually became the secretary of the treasury
and the founder of the Republican party.