A More Perfect Union: List 1: Pages 1–23

by Betsy and Giulio Maestro
Merely a decade after America declared independence from England, the colonies were not cooperating, and the new country was in trouble. Fifty-five Americans assembled in the stifling heat of 1787 Philadelphia, debating and compromising, in the hope of creating a foundational document for the struggling country: the Constitution of the United States.

Here are links to our lists for the book: Pages 1–23, Pages 24–42
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. representative
    an advocate for someone else's policy or purpose
    Representatives from the thirteen colonies met in 1776 to write the Declaration of Independence, which told King George III of England that the colonies wanted to rule themselves.
  2. colony
    a geographical area controlled by a distant country
    Representatives from the thirteen colonies met in 1776 to write the Declaration of Independence, which told King George III of England that the colonies wanted to rule themselves.
  3. colonist
    one who settles or establishes a settlement in a new region
    The colonists formed their own government and fought the Revolutionary War to win their freedom.
  4. cooperate
    work together on a common enterprise or project
    The thirteen states were not cooperating with one another.
  5. convention
    a large formal assembly
    These men decided to hold a special meeting, called a convention, to figure out what could be done.
  6. delegate
    a person appointed or elected to represent others
    Many delegates stayed at the Indian Queen, one of the nicest inns.
  7. majority
    more than half of the votes in an election
    Some of the rules were: each state would have one vote; a majority, or more than half the votes, would rule; and everything that happened at the meetings would be kept secret until after the convention was over.
  8. congress
    a national legislative assembly
    The plan called for a government elected, or chosen, by the people. It would have three parts: a President, a congress or group of people to make laws, and a law court to make decisions about those laws.
  9. decision
    a position or opinion reached after consideration
    It would have three parts: a President, a congress or group of people to make laws, and a law court to make decisions about those laws.
  10. constitution
    law determining the fundamental principles of a government
    Now the job of the convention would be to write a constitution, a set of rules for forming a government, and another set of rules for the new government to follow.
  11. bitterly
    extremely and sharply
    The delegates from small states had lost their fight, and were bitterly disappointed, but they decided to work with the other delegates to come up with a plan that would satisfy both large and small states.
  12. compromise
    an accommodation in which both sides make concessions
    By mid-July, with the help of some delegates from Connecticut, a compromise was worked out.
  13. draft
    any of the various versions in the development of a work
    They gathered together all the parts of the new plan for the Constitution and wrote a first draft, or working copy.
  14. document
    writing that provides information
    When the whole group of fifty-five delegates returned to the convention, they were able to look over this draft of the document that would govern all the American people.
  15. govern
    exercise authority over, as of nations
    When the whole group of fifty-five delegates returned to the convention, they were able to look over this draft of the document that would govern all the American people.
Created on Tue Mar 24 22:01:34 EDT 2026 (updated Thu Mar 26 17:29:57 EDT 2026)

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