9781422275689

A NewNation and a NewGovernment

Words to Understand

Bicameral: Referring to a legislative body with two chambers. Impeachment: Procedure defined in the U.S. Constitution to formally accuse a public official of wrongdoing. Monarch: The sovereign ruler of a state or nation who inherits power, such as a king or queen. Quorum: The minimum number of a legislative body or other assembly that needs to be present in order to officially conduct the business of that assembly. Veto: The power to reject a legislative bill and refuse to sign it into law. O n March 4, 1789, church bells and cannons rang out in New York City, the first capital of the newly constituted United States. The entire city was celebrating. A new federal government was about to be set in motion, a government of the people, for the people, and by the people. The Senate and the House of Representatives, the two legislative bodies of the new bicameral (two-house) legislature, were preparing to conduct their first order of business—certifying the election of George

The United States Senate first met in 1789 in the new Federal Hall in New York City. The first meeting of the Senate was to be on March 4, but poor weather kept many senators away. The Senate did not achieve a quorum until April 6.

the senate