United States Government Unit 1

Government Fall 2026

Who were separatists?

Separatists were people dissatisfied with the Church of England who sought refuge to practice their religious beliefs

What did the Mayflower Compact set forth the idea of?

Consent of the governed

What did the Mayflower act as?

A prototype for similar compacts in American History

What did the British Parliament start doing to the colonies in 1763?

Passed laws that treated the colonies as a unit

Why did the British Parliament begin passing new laws on the colonies?

To raise revenue to help pay off their war debt incurred during the French and Indian Wars

How did the colonists view these laws placed by the British Parliament?

They viewed it as “taxation without representation”

What was the colonies’ response to the new laws passed by the British Parliament?

They convened a colonial congress and requested that all colonies hold conventions to select delegates to be sent to Philadelphia.

What was the focus of the Continental Congress?

Restore the political structure that was in existence before the passage of legislation affecting the colonies

How did the colonies boycott the new laws?

Boycotted British trade and raised troops

When did the Second Continental Congress convene?

In May 1775, after fighting had already broken out between the British and the colonists

What are some things the Second Continental Congress did?

Established an army and named Washington the commander in chief, and pursued the Revolutionary War

When was the Declaration of Independence?

July 4th, 1776

What are the natural rights in the Declaration of Independence?

Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness

What was the social contract outlined in the Declaration of Independence?

The government had the responsibility to protect the natural rights of its citizens. If the government failed to do so, people had the right to revolt.

What were Republicans against?

They were against a strong central government, opposed to rule by any central authority, and even skeptical of a permanent union of the states

The fear of a powerful central government led to the passage of what document?

The Articles of Confederation

What did the Articles of Confederation create?

A weak central government for the colonies

What is the meaning of confederation?

A voluntary association of independent states, in which the member states agree to only limited restraints on their freedom of action

Who retained most of the power under the Articles of Confederation?

States retained most of the power, and citizens loyal to their state.