The Declaration Of Independence and the Articles of Confederation

Declaration of Independence

The document that announced the colonies were separating from Great Britain.

Thomas Jefferson

The main writer of the declaration who used ideas about rights and government.

John Locke

His ideas about natural rights and government influenced the Declaration.

Natural Rights

Rights people are born with such as life, liberty, and happiness.

Social Contract

The agreement between people and government to protect their rights.

Consent of the Governed

Government gets its power from the people.

King George lll

British king blamed for violating the colonists rights.

Grievances

Complaints against the king listed in the declaration.

American Revolution

War between the colonies and Britain for American independence.

Articles of Confederation

Americas first government which gave states most of the power.

Confederation

A loose union where states kept most of their power.

Weak Central Government

The national government had little power to tax or enforce laws.

Shay’s Rebellion

The rebellion that showed the weaknesses with the Articles.

Constitutional Convention

Meeting held to fix the problems with the articles.

Constitution

Created a stronger national government to replace the articles.

French and Indian War

Conflict that left Britain heavily in debt leading to colonial taxes.

The Glorious Revolution

1688 British event that established the parliamentary power over the king.

Continental Congress

Gathering of colonial representatives in Philadelphia that governed the revolution.

Monarchy

Ruled by a king and queen which the declaration rejected.

Issac Newton

Scientist whose principal helped spark the Enlightenments focus on universal laws.

13 colonies

The separate and culturally distinct English territories along the Atlantic coast.

Stamp Act and Tea Act

Specific parliamentary taxes that sparked widespread colonial protest.

Boston Massacre

1770 deadly street clashes used as resistance against British policies.

Sons of Liberty

Colonial activist group that led resistance against British policies.

John Adams

Massachusetts delegate who championed independence and selected Jefferson to write the draft.

Benjamin Franklin

Founding Fathers who promoted colonial unity and edited the declaration.

Slavery and the Slave Trade

Topic of deleted draft paragraph that blamed the king for human bondage.

Federal Government

The national government intentionally left powerless under the Articles.

State Government

The individual state powers that held true control under the Articles.

Constitutional Convention

The Philadelphia meeting that threw out the Articles to write the U.S Constitution.