Vocabulary:
Albany Plan of Union: plan proposed by Benjamin Franklin in 1754 that aimed to unite the 13 colonies for trade, military, and other purposes; the plan was turned down by the colonies and the Crown.
Annapolis Convention: a national political convention held September 11–14, 1786 at Mann's Tavern in Annapolis, Maryland, in which twelve delegates from five states–New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Virginia–gathered to discuss and develop a consensus about reversing the protectionist trade barriers that each state had erected.
Articles of Confederation: plan of government adopted by the Continental Congress after the American Revolution; established “a firm league of friendship” among the States, but allowed few important powers to the central government.
Bicameral: an adjective describing a legislative body composed of two chambers.
Charter: a city’s basic law, its constitution; a written grant of authority from the king.
Committee of Five: drafted and presented to the Congress what became known as America's Declaration of Independence of July 4, 1776. This Declaration committee operated from June 11, 1776 until July 5, 1776, the day on which the Declaration was published.
Confederation: a joining of several groups for a common purpose.
Due Process: the government must act fairly and in accord with established rules in all that it does.
English Bill of Rights: document written by Parliament and agreed on by William and Mary of England in 1689, designed to prevent abuse of power by English monarchs; forms the basis for much in American government and politics today.
First Continental Congress: was a meeting of delegates from twelve of the thirteen colonies that met on September 5 to October 26, 1774 at Carpenters' Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, early in the American Revolution. It was called in response to "The passage of the