Government 1st test

constitution and basic info about the founding of america

limited government

magna carta 215

When was the petition of right?

1625

When was the English Bill of Rights?

1688

What was the English Parlement

representative government

Who was John Locke?

17th century English philosopher who wrote 2 treaties on government (1690)

written constitutions

mayflower compact (1620)

How long has colonial legislatures been operating by the mid 1700’s?

more than 100 years

What are the three Separation of Powers?

executive, legislature, and judicial/courts

What were colonial legislatures training ground for?

the writers of the U.S. Constitution

When did the British government let the colonies govern themselves?

prior to the 1760’s

Who incurred debt from the French and Indian War (1754-1763)?

the british

After the French and Indian War when King George III took the throne, what did he decide to do about the debt?

make the colonists pay the debt; he levied taxes on the colonists

Before the mid-1770’s what did most colonists think of themselves as?

British

Before the mid-1770’s where the colonies united?

no → they had Virginians, New Yorkers, etc.

What did the intolerable act lead to?

the first continental congress

What did the battle of Lexington lead to?

the second continental congress

What grew rapidly?

the independence movement

What did Thomas Pain argue in “Common Sense” that influenced many colonies?

that monarchies were corrupt and that King George III was an enemy to liberty

Who was considered a patriot?

Samuel Adams

What did Samuel Adams think about America?

that it’s already independent so why not declare it

Who was Richard Henery Lee?

a delegate of the continental congress (Virginia)

What did Richard Henery Lee introduce?

a resolution calling for independence

Who was the declaration of independence written by?

Thomas Jefferson

How many paragraphs listed specific complaints against King George in the Deceleration of Independence?

27

What was the main purpose of the declaration of indpendence?

a statement of the colonist’s determination to separate from Great Britain

What does the deceleration of independence begin with?

a statement of purpose and a description of basic human rights

When did they begin to work on the articles of confederation and when were they ratified?

1777, ratified in march 1781

What did the articles of confederation mainly do?

continued the structure and operations of the government (established under the second continental congress)

What power did the States have in the articles of confederation?

all power

* regulate foreign and interstate commerce


* enforce or impede national government
* control state militia
* withhold or grant revenues to national government
* power to veto amendments to the articles

What was the national government dependent on the states for?

revenue, soldiers, and law enforcement (national government had limited/no power)

What happened between the states because of the articles of confederation?

they began to quarrel over boundaries and tarrifs

What were the federal financial woes?

* they owed 40 million to foreign governments (1787)
* american revolution war soldiers still unpaid

What were the state financial woes?

* economic depression (1786)
* left farmers and merchants angry and in debt

What did Shays’ rebellion show?

that there needed to be a change with the government

What happened in Shays’ rebellion?

100 farmers and merchants wanted to prevent the courts from taking away their farms and businesses (led by Daniel shays (former captain in revolution army))

Who put down Shays’ rebellion?

Massachusetts militia

Since George Washington met with Maryland and Virginia to settle disputes and was successful what happened?

the success led to Annapolis convention

How many states sent delegates for the Annapolis convention?

5

What did Hamilton and Madison do?

persuaded the other delegates to call for the Philadelphia convention

What did the Annapolis convention lead to? i.e. Why was the Annapolis convention important?

the Philadelphia convention

How many delegates attended the constitutional convention? When was it? Who presided?

may 15 1787, 55 delegates from 12 states (no Rhode island), George Washington presided

What were the rules of the constitutional convention?

each stat only got one vote so it was simple majority decisions, and there was no public or press

What came of the Constitutional convention?

the delegates agreed to abandon the articles and start over

What did the delegates all agree on?

* limited and representative government
* government should be divided between legislative, executive, and judicial branches
* strengthen the national government

Who drafted the Virginia plan?

James madison (basis for the new convention)

What was the basis for the new convention?

the Virginia plan

Who supported the constitution?

the federalists

What fueled the debate between the federalists and the anti-federalists?

ratifying the constitution

What appeased the Anti-federalists?

the Bill of Rights

Which states were the first and last to ratify the constitution?

* Delaware → first on December 7th 1787
* Rhode Island → last on May 29th 1790

popular sovereignty

rule by the people

federalism

power is divided between nation and stat governments

checks and balances

each branch has some control over the others

judicial review

power to declare a law unconstitutional

limited government

limits the actions of the government

Article 1

the legislative branch

Article 2

the executive branch

Article 3

the judicial branch

Article 4

the states

Article 5

amendment

Article 6

debts, supremacy, oaths

Article 7

Ratification