Key Terms from Early U.S. History

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Amendment

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A change to a constitution (e.g., Articles of Confederation, U.S. Constitution).

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Articles of Confederation

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The first constitution of the United States

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Confederation

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A system of government where power is located with the independent states, and there is little power in the central government. A confederation is also known as a confederal system.

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Constitutional Convention

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A meeting in Philadelphia in 1787 where delegates decided to discard the Articles of Confederation and draft the Constitution.

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enforce

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to carry out effectively

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regulate

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to control, govern, or direct according to a rule

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revolt

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To rise up against the authority of a ruler or government.

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Shays’s Rebellion

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An event when 2,000 Massachusetts farmers rebelled against land foreclosures and debt from the Revolutionary War.

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Tax

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Money charged by a government for specific facilities or services.