What experience made Americans cautious about placing too much power in the hands of a few people?
British rule made Americans cautious about placing too much power in the hands of a single ruler.
A government in which citizens rule through elected representatives is called?
A republic
Realizing the need for a central government to coordinate the fighting against Britain, the Second Continental Congress created the United State's first constitution (a plan of government for all 13 states) What was that constitution called?
The Articles of Confederation
Under the Articles of Confederation, the government consisted of what?
A one house Congress.
Name four powers of the Federal government under the Articles of Confederation?
Conduct Foreign affairs, maintain armed forces, borrow money, and issue currency.
Name three powers the Federal government did not have under the Articles of Confederation
It could not regulate trade, force citizens to join the army, impose taxes.
Under the articles of Confederation, if Congress needed to raise money or troops, whom did Congress have to ask in order to receive money or troops?
The state legislatures
What two branches of government did not exist under the Articles of Confederation?
Executive and Judicial Branches
Under the Articles of Confederation, how many votes did each state have?
One
Under the Articles of Confederation, how many states had to approve any changes?
All 13
During the years of the Articles of Confederation, how many states did the United States consist of?
13
What document included a bill of rights for settlers, guaranteed freedom of religion, trial by jury, and marked the United State's first attempt to stop the spread of slavery?
Northwest Ordinance
The Northwest Ordinance, a law passed under the Articles of Confederation, established what three provisions?
Bill of rights for settlers, prohibited slavery, and an orderly procedure for settling of the Northwest Territory
Under the Articles of Confederation, the Federal government depended on states in what three areas?
Revenue, soldiers, and law enforcers
What rebellion in 1787 caused Americans to worry that the government was not strong enough to control mobs and prevent violence?
Shay's Rebellion
. In 1775, what religious group worked to end slavery?
Quakers
When, where, and why did the Constitutional Convention meet?
1787; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; to change the Articles of Confederation, but later adopted a new Constitution
The plantation system of the South had been built on?
Slavery
Name three provisions of the Virginia Plan.
Two-house legislature, a chief executive chosen by the legislature, and a court system
Why were states with small populations against the Virginia Plan?
Small population states wanted a system where all states were represented equally.
. Name two states against the Virginia Plan.
New Jersey and Delaware
Name 4 provisions of the New Jersey Plan.
One-house legislature with one vote for each state, congress could set taxes, congress could regulate trade, and congress would elect a weak executive branch consisting of more than one person
What issue divided the large and small states?
Representation
What was the Great Compromise?
A compromise proposed by Roger Sherman
What issue did the Great Compromise settle?
Representation
What were the provisions of the Great Compromise?
A two-house legislature - House of Representatives and Senate
House of Representatives would be based on a state's population
Senate - each state would have two Senators
What was the Three-Fifth's Compromise?
Compromise where 3/5th of a state's slave population would count towards representation and taxation.
Background: Southern states wanted to include its slave population for representation purposes in order to gain delegates/Congressmen/ votes. Northern states (which generally were against slavery) said that since slaves were property then slaves should count towards taxation and not representation. This would increase taxes for slave owners. The Three-Fifth's Compromise resulted from the taxation/representation issue that involved slaves.
What had to be added to the U.S. Constitution before the Constitution could be ratified?
Bill of Rights
From what two documents did many of the amendments of the Bill of Rights come from?
English Bill of Rights and the Declaration of Independence
What was the Enlightenment?
A movement in the 1700s, which promoted the idea that knowledge, reason, and science, could improve society.
What was the Second Treatises of Civil Government and wrote it?
John Locke and the Baron de Montesquieu
What was the Second Treatises of Civil Government and wrote it?
A book written by John Locke which said that government is based on an agreement, or contract between the people and the ruler.
How did the Framers of the U.S. Constitution view the Constitution?
As a contract between the American people and their government. The contract protected the people's natural rights by limiting the government's power.
What was the Spirit of Laws?
Book written by the Baron de Montesquieu declaring that the powers of the government should be separated and balanced against each other. The separation would keep any one person or group from becoming too powerful.
What did Montesquieu believe about government?
The powers/branches of government should be separated and balanced against one another.
What is federalism?
The sharing of power between federal and state governments
Under the federal system, what is the final authority?
The United States Constitution
What are the 3 branches of government and the Articles of the U.S. Constitution that created each?
Legislative Branch- Article I
Executive Branch - Article II
Judicial Branch - Article III
What is the responsibility of the Executive?
To enforce the laws/ carry out the laws
What is the main responsibility of the Legislature?
To make or create the laws
What is the Electoral College?
A special group chosen by each state to cast their votes for the president and vice-president. Each state has as many electors as it has senators and representatives in Congress.
What is the main responsibility of the Judiciary?
Interpret the laws
What are checks and balances?
A system where each branch of national government has roles / the ability to check, control, the power of the other two branches.
Who were the Federalists?
Supporters of the new Constitution (Alexander Hamilton, John Adams, James Madison, George Washington)
What was the Federalists Papers?
A series of essays written to explain and gain support for the proposed U.S. Constitution.
Who wrote the Federalists Papers?
John Jay, Alexander Hamilton, and James Madison
Who were the Anti-Federalists?
Individuals who were against the ratification of the U.S. Constitution. (Thomas Paine, Patrick Henry); Thomas Paine said, "That government is best which governs least."
What is an amendment?
an addition to a formal document such as the Constitution
Name the document that was written in 1215 England, which limited the power of the monarch and influenced the framers of the U.S. Constitution.
The Magna Carta
How is the U.S. Constitution amended?
Amendment is proposed by 2/3s vote in the Senate and House of Representatives (both houses of congress) then ratified by 3/4s of the state legislatures
The purpose of the Bill of Rights is to? Give two purposes.
Protect individual liberties and limit the power of the federal government
Another word for a two - house legislature
Bicameral
Why did some states choose a bicameral legislature?
To divide the powers of the government
The English Bill of Rights of 1689 influenced Americans to include what in the
U.S. Constitution?
Our own bill of rights
Name two European philosophers who influenced how the U.S. Constitution
would be written.
John Locke and The Baron de Montesquieu
What group led by Thomas Jefferson was against replacing the Articles of Confederation with the new U.S. Constitution? Why?
Anti-Federalist. It would too much power to the Federal/Central government in Washington D.C.
Freedom of speech, press, religion, assembly, and the right to petition the government
1 Amendment
The right to bear arms
2 Amendment
Cannot be forced to house soldiers
3 Amendment
protects against "unreasonable searches and seizures"
4 Amendment
The right of a person under arrest to know why he or she has been arrested and to refuse to testify against himself or herself in a court of law.
5 Amendment
The right to a speedy trial of one's peers in criminal cases
6 Amendment
The right to a trial by jury in civil cases involving substantial amounts of money
7 Amendment
protection against excessive bail and cruel and unusual punishment
8 Amendment
guarantee that rights not specifically listed in the Constitution are not automatically denied to the people
9 Amendment
Guarantee that the people and the states are to keep powers not specifically granted to the federal government
10 Amendment
