Across
- 2. The introduction to the U.S. Constitution, stating the goals and purposes of the government
- 4. A proposal made at the Constitutional Convention that suggested a strong national government with three branches and representation in Congress based on state population
- 7. A union of independent states where the central government has limited power, and the states keep most of the authority
- 11. An agreement at the Constitutional Convention that allowed the importation of enslaved people to continue until 1808, after which Congress could ban it
- 12. To formally approve or confirm a decision, such as the ratification of amendments or treaties
- 14. The first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution, added in 1791, which protect individual freedoms like speech, religion, and the right to a fair trial
- 15. Supporters of the U.S. Constitution who believed in a strong central government and argued that the Constitution would provide stability and protect individual rights
- 16. A law passed by Congress that set up a system for dividing and selling land in the western territories to raise money and organize new settlements
- 18. Opponents of the U.S. Constitution who feared that a strong national government would take away individual and state rights, and demanded the addition of a Bill of Rights
- 19. A law that organized the Northwest Territory and established a process for admitting new states. It also banned slavery in the region and protected civil liberties
- 20. The agreement at the Constitutional Convention that created a two-house Congress: the Senate, with equal representation for each state, and the House of Representatives, based on population
Down
- 1. The first written plan of government for the United States, created in 1777. It gave most powers to the states and had a weak national government, which caused problems like an inability to collect taxes
- 3. The process of returning a person accused or convicted of a crime to the state where the crime was committed for trial or punishment
- 5. A meeting in 1787 in Philadelphia where delegates from the states came together to write the U.S. Constitution, replacing the Articles of Confederation with a stronger federal government
- 6. A 1786-1787 uprising by farmers in Massachusetts protesting high taxes and economic hardship. The rebellion highlighted the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation and the need for a stronger national government
- 8. An agreement at the Constitutional Convention that counted each enslaved person as three-fifths of a person when determining a state's population for representation and taxes
- 9. A clause in the U.S. Constitution (Article VI, Clause 2) stating that federal law is the supreme law of the land and takes precedence over state laws
- 10. Clause A clause in the U.S. Constitution (Article IV, Section 1) requiring each state to recognize and respect the laws, records, and judicial decisions of other states
- 13. The crime of betraying one's country, defined in the U.S. Constitution as levying war against the United States or aiding its enemies
- 17. A proposal made at the Constitutional Convention that suggested each state should have equal representation in Congress, regardless of population, to protect smaller states