american democracy civics quiz

magna carta (the great charter) England 1215

rights of all free citizens to own and inherent property ti be protected from excessive taxes, church to be free from government interference, seperation of church and state → (1st amendment establishment clause), banned cruel and unusual punishment (8th amendment)

zera yacob - Ethiopia 1600s

every one is equal → DOI, against slavery (13th amendment), humans are deserving of rights and religion (first amendment free excersize clause)

iroquois confederacy (great peacemaker) northeast u.s. 1142

balanced power btwn iroquois confederacy and individual tribes → 3 branches of government (congress, president, supreme court), process to remove leaders in confederacy → article 2 section 4 (impeachment), two branches of legislature with procedure for passing laws → article 1 section 1 (vesting clauses)

age of enlightenment - europe 1685-1815

questioned traditional authority, intellectual and philosophical ferment in europe and north america, individual liberty, rule of law, religious freedom

john locke - england 1690

two treaties of government, revolution against king justified → american revolution DOI, contract theory - government had responsibility to protect people’s natural rights → Thomas Jefferson “life, liberty,pursuit of happiness”

thomas hobbes - england 1588-1697

social compact - agreement with government of england to secure people, legal restraints are necessary, u.s. did not adopt hobbes’ idea of government having absolute power

jean-jacques rosseau - switzerland 1712-1778

social contract, government should be formed by consent of people making their own laws → democracy - for the people by the people of the people

baron de montesquieu - france 1689-1755

3 branches of government (executive branch, legislative branch, judicial branch), seperation of powers, spirit of laws

house of burgesses - jamestown, virginia 1619

first democratically elected legislative body in british-american colonies, 22 men from 11 plantations → 2 senators per state, speakers and committees

mayflower compact - mayflower, plymouth, massachusetts 1620

first example of English settlers practicing self government, create civil society and maintaining order, mayflower compact was christian

phillis wheatley - 1753-1784

wrote against slavery, born and enslaved in Gambia and sold to enslavers in boston

french and indian war - 1654-1763

lead to DOI, great Britain gaining territory

6 legislative acts passed by parliament that upset colonists

proclamation of 1763, sugar act 1764, currency act 1764, stamp act spring 1765, townshend acts 1767, intolerable acts 1774

proclamation of 1763

divided native americans and colonists by appalachian mountains - “indian territory” was west and colonists had east, but colonists wanted the west too

sugar act of 1764

raise taxes on raw sugar and molasses, created new taxes on silk, wine, coffee, pimento, and indigo. made to prevent smuggling, hurt trade and upset colonists

currency act of 1764

banned paper money to slow inflation and address economic issues in colonies, caused money to lose value and made loans easier to pay

stamp act - spring 1765

taxes on printed materials from british parliament to colonies, colonists spoke out through protests, boycotts, etc.

townshend acts 1767

taxes on glass, lead, paper, paint, and tea. officials could take private properties and allowed search warrants

intolerable acts 1774

aka coersive/quartering acts, following Boston tea party, shut down Boston harbor, government appointed all sheriffs, judges, and council members

events leading to the declaration of independence

boston massacre, Boston tea party, first continental Congress, battle of Lexington and Concord, second Continental Congress, olive branch petition

boston massacre (mar 5, 1770)

redcoats in boston and high taxes caused by British caused soldiers to fire into a crowd killing 5, increased tension between colonists and British authorities moving towa5s independence, John Adams represented british redcoats at trial in court

boston tea party (dec 16, 1773)

political protest, colonists disguised as native Americans and dumped tea into the harbor to protest against the tea act

first continental congress (1774)

delegates from colonies met to talk about coersive acts and British temporarily governing colonies on how to unite and resist

battle of lexington and concord (apr 19, 1775)

aka shot heard around the world, first military engagement between British and american, British tried to take weapons, began revolutionary war, paul rever warned that the British were coming

second continental congress (may 1775)

delegates met from all 13 colonies in support of revolution, in Pennsylvania after battles of Lexington and Concord and elected George Washington as commander of continental army

olive branch petition (1775)

america’s final attempt to avoid war and create peace with britain, letter to king George 3 by members of second continental Congress, king George 3 rejected the petition

“common sense”

pamphlet written by Thomas Paine advocating for independence from great Britain, thomas paine believed that people should e able to governm themselves and focused on blaming the king

parts of the declaration of independence

preamble, natural rights, 27 grievances, announcement of seperation

DOI preamble

“we hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal…”

DOI natural rights

stresses rights belonging to all people from birth, unalienable rights, “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness”,government protects rights and allows people to change if not protective of them

DOI 27 grievances

a list of 27 wrongs to colonies by the British government, complaining about/against the king and parliament

DOI announcement of seperation

representative of u.s. declares that they are free and independent states, no longer loyal to the king, “lives, fortunes, and sacred honor”

“life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness”

written by thomas jefferson and adopted by John locke

“all men are created equal”

written by thomas Jefferson adopted from zera yacob

writers of the DOI

Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, Roger Sherman, and Robert R Livingston

july 2, 1776

date that the DOI was voted on

abigail adams

John Adams’ wife, requested that women have a say in government and are represented

articles of confederation

first form of government in the u.s., proven by shay’s rebellion that it was weak, and lead to writing of constitution, lacked ability to tax evenly across states, regulate trade, enforce laws, petition of human rights, constituiton created a more flexible government

constitutional convention (may 25 - sep 17, 1787)

a gathering of delegates from 12/13 states in philadelphia

unicameral

one house legislature

large state plan

aka virginia plan, proposed at the constitutional convention, , wants a strong national government to collect taxes and make/enforce laws, seperation of powers, national judiciary (judges appointed fr live), bicameral legislature

small state plan

aka new jersey plan, unicameral legislature, equal representation between states, seperation of powers, state legislatures make decisions, more state power

connecticut compromise

aka great compromise, compromise between small and large state plans, bicameral legislature (one house was population based, other was 2 per state), vote to elect representatives, state legislatures, and choose senators, (17th amendment)

other compromises of the constitution

3/5 compromise (3/5 enslaved people counted for taxes andrepresentation), electoral college

parts of the constitution

preamble, 7 articles, amendments

constitution preamble

“we the people of the u.s. in order to form a more perfect union”

article 1

legislative branch (powers, duties, and requirements)

article 2

executive branch (powers, duties, requirements)

article 3

judicial branch (powers, duties, terms, etc.)

article 4

states (laws, etc. full faith and credit clause)

article 5

amendments (requirements to be in the constitution)

article 6

national supremacy (constitution is “supreme law of land”)

article 7

ratifying new constitution requirements

amendment process

propose amendment, 2/3 of both houses approve, Congress calls convention, legislatives 2/3 of states, ratified by ¾ of states

amount of both houses that must vote in favor of the proposed amendment

2/3 or 67%

amount of states that must vote in favor of ratification

¾ or 75%

first 10 amendments of constitution

“bill of rights”