Colonial Era through Reconstruction

John Locke

Enlightenment philosopher who influenced Declaration of Independence; social contract theory--gov't based on consent of governed, gov't must protect natural rights

Montesquieu

philosopher who promoted importance of separation of powers

Mayflower Compact

agreement in which settlers of Plymouth Colony expressed the need for gov't & gov't based on consent of the governed

New England Town Meetings

promoted direct democracy

VA House of Burgesses

first step toward creation of a republican gov't (legislature)

Impact of Trial of John Peter Zenger

Zenger published articles about corruption of royal governor & was put on trial; was later found not guilty of libel & convinced the Framers of the Constitution to include freedom of the press

salutary neglect

when British loosely governed the colonies b/c of distractions; ended at conclusion of French & Indian War b/c British needed colonies to pay off war debt

Albany Plan of Union

proposed by Benjamin Franklin as a way for colonies to unite vs. French before French & Indian War--would have been 1st national body uniting the colonies but was rejected

Grievances against Great Britain

restrictive trade policies (mercantilism, Navigation Acts), taxation without representation, unfair trials, lack of privacy (writs of assistance), quartering of troops

Proclamation of 1763

banned settlement west of Appalachian Mts.

Common Sense

pamphlet written by Thomas Paine to convince American colonists to seek independence

Purpose & Key Ideas of the Declaration of Independence

justify to the world why the colonists were seeking independence; contains Locke's social contract theory & list of grievances vs. the King

Key Weaknesses of Articles of Confederation

too much power given to states; Congress could not raise taxes or an army, each state got 1 vote in Congress, was no executive or judiciary, took 9/13 states to pass a law & 13/13 states to amend the Articles

Shays' Rebellion

was wake up call that there was a need for a stronger central gov't; rebellion erupted in MA & MA asked Congress for help but Congress was too weak to do so; convinced states to send delegates to Constitutional Convention

Positives of Articles of Confederation

Land Ordinance of 1785 & Northwest Ordinance--set up plan for adding new territories in west

Great Compromise

Congress would have 2 houses--House of Representatives (# representatives each state has is based on population) + Senate (each state has 2 Senators)

Three-Fifths Compromise

3/5 of slave population would be counted when figuring out how many representatives a state would have in the House

Electoral College

selects the president--the winner of the popular vote in a state gets that state's electoral votes (# = #repres. in House + 2 for # of Senators); created b/c public was not well educated & needed to guarantee small states had a voice; criticized b/c can win popular vote & still lose the election

Federalist Papers

written by Hamilton, Madison, & Jay to convince the states to ratify the Constitution--defends the document & shows how tyranny would be prevented

Anti-Federalists

group that was opposed to ratification of the Constitution; preferred more power to state gov'ts since they are closer to the people & insisted on addition of the Bill of Rights

federalism

division of power between the national gov't & states

separation of powers

division of power into 3 branches--legislative (makes laws), executive (enforces laws), & judicial (interprets laws)

checks and balances

giving each branch of gov't powers to resist abuse of power by the others (ex., President can veto a law & Congress can override veto with 2/3 vote in both houses)

Ways the Constitution Promotes Flexibility

judicial review, amendment process, elastic clause, Unwritten Constitution

Unwritten Constitution

customs/traditions that have become official practice--Cabinet, political parties, congressional committees, lobbying

Necessary and Proper Clause

nicknamed the "elastic clause"--allows Congress to have implied powers (Ex., creation of BUS)

popular sovereignty

power rests with the people--evident in election of House of Representatives by the people

census

population count taken every 10 years to determine how many seats each state gets in the House (states in Sunbelt are gaining seats)

Bill of Rights

1st 10 Amendments to Constitution; added to protect against abuse by federal gov't; later "nationalized" by the Supreme Court through use of 14th Amendment due process clause & now state gov'ts must also provide these protections (ex., Gideon v. Wainwright--right to attorney)

Hamilton's Financial Plan

strengthen the economy by paying off debt, creating BUS, instituting excise taxes

Whiskey Rebellion

Washington used federal troops to put down rebellion by PA farmers who did not want to pay a federal excise tax; showed federal supremacy

Farewell Address

Washington warned against forming permanent alliances & about the dangers of political parties

Proclamation of Neutrality

Washington refused to take sides in European rivalries--sent message that US would seek isolationism in foreign affairs

Chief Justice John Marshall

led the Supreme Court during a time when it was important to strengthen the power of the federal gov't--did so with rulings in Marbury v. Madison, Gibbons v. Ogden, & McCulloch v. MD

Alien & Sedition Acts

passed by Adams to strengthen the power of the federal gov't, minimize criticism of the federal gov't, & make it easier to deport those seen as a threat

Virginia & Kentucky Resolutions

promoted by Jefferson & Madison & pushed for nullification--ability of states to void a federal law they viewed as a violation of Constitution

Louisiana Purchase

territory purchased by Jefferson from French--originally only wanted access to port of New Orleans but was offered entire LA Territory; Jefferson had to go vs. belief in strict interpretation of Constitution to buy it; doubled the size of the US & ushered in "Manifest Destiny"

Causes of War of 1812

British impressment of US sailors, violation of freedom of seas--interference with trade

Monroe Doctrine

US would stay out of Europe if Europe stayed out of Western Hemisphere

Causes of Sectionalism

different lifestyles between N. & S, controversy over tariffs & BUS; & North preferred more power for federal gov't & South preferred more power for state gov'ts

Impact of Cotton Gin

led to increased demand for slave labor in the South

Erie Canal

connected Great Lakes to the Hudson River & then to the Atlantic Ocean--farmers in west could connect to world marketplace

spoils system

new president replaces officials within the government with his own supporters

Indian Removal Act of 1830

Jackson wished to move Native Americans west of the MS River

Worcester v. Georgia

demonstrated weakness of Supreme Court--cannot enforce its decisions; ruled that GA had no right to regulate activities within the Cherokee nation but Jackson refused to listen & let GA intrude on Cherokee

Treaty of New Echota

treaty made with a minority of Cherokee population where Cherokee would take $5 million in exchange for leaving; Cherokee leadership viewed treaty as a falsehood & eventually President Van Buren enforced it through the use of troops & Cherokee were pushed onto "Trail of Tears"

Reform Movements of early 1800s

Public Education--Horace Mann; Mentally Ill--Dorothea Dix; Abolition--Douglas, Tubman, Garrison; Women's Rights--Seneca Falls Convention & Declaration of Sentiments by Stanton & Mott

War with Mexico

started over border dispute at Rio Grande; sparked by Polk's desire to continue Manifest Destiny; ended with Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo where US got Mexican Cession (CA, NV, UT, AZ, parts of NM, CO & WY)

Dilemma with Expansion of US

Would new territories allow slavery?--concern over keeping balance between free & slave states in Senate

Missouri Compromise

slavery was banned in all areas N. of 36'30'N (except MO)

Compromise of 1850

CA would be free state, popular sovereignty would exist in rest of Mexican Cession, & Fugitive Slave Act was enacted

Kansas-Nebraska Act

popular sovereignty was introduced into the region--problem was it ignored MO Compromise & voter fraud occurred in Kansas; KS became "Bleeding KS" b/c of tensions & John Brown's response to "Sack of Lawrence" with Pottawatomie Massacre

Dred Scott v. Sanford

Dred Scott sued for his freedom b/c was moved above MO Compromise line; Chief Justice Taney ruled blacks were not citizens & that since slaves were property, property could be brought anywhere in the US

Harper's Ferry

John Brown tried to raid the federal arsenal & equip slaves with weapons so they would launch a revolt; revolt failed & Brown was hanged

Election of 1860

Lincoln was elected president--was the immediate cause of secession of the South b/c they feared Lincoln would abolish slavery everywhere

Lincoln's Initial Goal in Civil War

preserve the Union

Lincoln's Strengthening of Presidency

suspended writ of habeas corpus, seized telegraph lines, used power as commander-in-chief to free slaves in rebellion areas in Emancipation Proclamation

Emancipation Proclamation

freed slaves in rebellion states (Confederacy) & gave the war a humanitarian purpose

Key Outcome of Civil War

federal supremacy; secession would no longer be seen as an option by states

Lincoln & Johnson's Plans for Reconstruction

leniency & let South rejoin the Union after 10% swore loyalty

Civil War Amendments

13th, 14th, 15th (banned slavery, granted citizenship to former slaves & due process & equal protection, could not deny right to vote based on race or being a former slave)

Radical Republican's Plan for Reconstruction

punish the South (set up military districts), push for reforms to help African Americans--Freedman's Bureau, rights to citizenship & voting

Barriers Set Up in South against Former Slaves

Black Codes, Jim Crow laws (required segregated facilities), literacy tests, poll taxes

sharecropping

system of labor in which former slaves worked the fields & were trapped in a "cycle of poverty"

Compromise of 1877

marked the official end to Reconstruction b/c Republicans were given the presidency (Hayes) in exchange for removal of federal troops from the South

Solid South

Democratic Party came to dominate the South b/c they were against punishing the South for the Civil War & against reforms to help out African Americans

Booker T. Washington

promoted importance of vocational education & idea that African Americans had to prove their worth to society & once they did so, they would improve their standing in the US

W.E.B. DuBois

founder of NAACP & demanded immediate inclusion of African Americans into society; promoted obtaining a liberal arts education