Articles of Confederation: From March 1, 1781, to June 21, 1788, the Articles served as the equivalent of the U.S. Constitution (1787). The Constitution replaced the Articles, which had failed to produce a strong central government.

Censure: Publicly condemn an individual; in Congress, the act of censure expresses Congress's condemnation of an individual's actions and is entered into the Congressional Record.

Continental Army: The army representing American interests during the Revolutionary War (1775-83).

Democratic-Republicans: Supporters of a political party in the United States led by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison in the 1790s to oppose the Federalist Party and close ties with Great Britain. The political group was also called the Republican Party and the Jeffersonian Republican Party at the time, but the term Democratic-Republican helps separate the early political group from the Democratic Party and the Republican Party, which were formed later. The Democratic- Republican party dissolved...