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John Adams
founding father; Federalist; part of the drafting committee for the Declaration of Independence
Declaration of Independence
the document formally declaring the American Colonies’ departure from the British Empire
Benjamin Franklin
founding father; member of both the continental congress and the constitutional convention; part of the drafting committee for the Declaration of Independence
Grand Committee
group made of one delegate from each state represented at the constitutional convention
Alexander Hamilton
founding father; federalist; instrumental in shaping the formation of the new constitution; first secretary of the treasury
Thomas Hobbes
British philosopher and author of The Leviathan; argued that man needed an absolute sovereign to hold society together
Thomas Jefferson
founding father; author of the Declaration of Independence
limited government
a government kept under control by checks and balances, separation of powers, and respects individual liberties
John Locke
British philosopher; argued that all men are born free and equal and that there is an obligation to rebel when the rule of kings fails
James Madison
founding father; nicknamed the “father of the Constitution”
Baron de Montesquieu
French philospher; argued for the separation of powers
natural law
the idea that all men are born free under God and cannot be subjected to another’s power without consent
popular sovereignty
the concept that the people are the ultimate ruling authority
representative republic
a governmental system in which citizens elect officials who are tasked with making and carrying out laws with the people’s best interests in mind
republicanism
a form of government in which citizens elect their leaders
Jean-Jacques Rousseau
French philosopher and author of The Social Contract; argued for the concept of an agreement between free people to abandon certain rights in order to be secure under a single governing body
U.S. Constitution
the foundational document of American government; sets out the rules for government action and policy
George Washington
founding father; first American president
