U.S. Government - Chapter 2

Describe our political beginnings.

• system of government based on ideas from Africa and Asia; English after Roman conquest > North American colonies

• English colonists brought 3 main concepts: need for an ordered social system (government), idea of limited government (not all-powerful), and concept of representative government (government serves people’s will)

• way the government works can be traced back to 3 documents

Describe the Magna Carta.

Magna Carta (1215)

• King Richard died in 1199 and his brother John was weak and unpopular

• John lost lands in France and quarreled with feudal lords and Pope

• lords made King John agree to certain limits on royal power

• consequences: no taxes without consent of Parliament, trial by jury, limited government

• Sir Edward Coke was an attorney general for Queen Elizabeth and the Chief Justice for King James

• in the 17th century, Coke reinterpreted the MC during the same times as when the charters for colonies were being written

Describe the Petition of Rights.

Petition of Rights (1628)

• King Charles I did not get along with Parliament, who refused to give him money to fight foreign wars

• Charles I tried to rule without Parliament by raising money through taxes, privileges, and loans to government

• he had to recall Parliament, who made him sign the PoR

• consequences: no taxing without consent of Parliament, no imprisoning critics without trial by jury, no sheltering troops, no martial law, challenged divine right

Describe the English Bill of Rights.

English Bill of Rights (1689)

• King James II was Catholic, while his daughter Mary II of Orange (Holland) and her husband William were Protestant

• James II was run off and Mary II and William were given the throne by Parliament in the Glorious Revolution (no bloodshed needed)

• Parliament made the couple sign the EBoR before being crowned in Westminister Abbey

• consequences: free speech in Parliament, no standing army, no cruel and unusual punishment

Describe the 13 colonies.

• established separately on the basis of charters over 125 years

• similarly shaped by their English origins

• “separate little countries” during 1700s > revolution brought them together

  • in 1760, King George III imposed new taxes and laws > confederation, annual congress, rebellion

• 1st: Jamestown, Virginia in 1607 by the Virginia Company as a commercial venture (habited by single men)

• 13th: Savannah, Georgia in 1733 as a haven for debtors

• Massachusetts colony to serve as a place for religious freedom

Name and describe the 3 types of colonies.

royal colonies

• ruled directly by English monarchy

• 8: MA, VA, NC, SC, GA, NH, NJ, NY

• governors were stern, bicameral legislature: council was the upper house, property owners were the lower house, laws needed king’s approval

proprietary colonies

• king granted land to people in North America

• 3: MD, PA, DE

• leadership went from Lord Baltimore to William Penn

• appeals could go to king

charter colonies

• charters were granted to colonists (considered liberal), mostly-self governed

• 2: CT, RI

• governor was elected by WMPO, bicameral legislature, laws were not subject to king’s approval or governor’s veto

Name and describe the 3 examples of growing colonial unity.

New England Confederation (1643)

• several NE settlements joined for a united cause to address shared concerns (ex. Native American issue)

Albany Plan of Union (1754)

• proposed by Benjamin Franklin

• have an annual congress of delegates from all 13 colonies to create unification under a single, centralized authority

Stamp Act Congress (1765)

• 9 colonies sent delegates to New York against the new Stamp Act

• prepared the Declaration of Rights and Grievances against British policies and sent it to King George III

What was the Boston Massacre?

• March 5, 1770

• at a city’s custom house, a British sentry was standing guard and then taunted by a group of boys

• a shot was fired, which led to 4 immediately dead, 5 dead later, and 6 wounded

• Paul Revere depicted the massacre in an angering manner, made Crispus Attacks white, sent out because of Committee of Correspondence (milestone in road to independence)

What was the Boston Tea Party?

• December 16, 1773

• East India Tea Company on the verge of bankruptcy

• Tea Act allowed tea to be exported to the colonies directly without taxes

• women started a boycott of tea

• Samuel Adams and John Hancock led 3 companies of 50 men dressed as Mohawk Indians to dump tea in Boston Harbor

Describe the Continental Congresses.

1st Continental Congress (1774)

• 12 colonies sent delegates to Philadelphia, PA to organize colonial resistance to Intolerable Acts

• sent a Declaration of Rights to King George III

• plan to refuse trade with Britain until trade and tax policies repealed

2nd Continental Congress (May 10, 1775)

• all colonies sent representatives to PA again

• John Hancock named President, George Washington served as Commander-in-Chief

• adopted Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776 (Jefferson thought the vote day on July 2 would be a holiday, Hancock signed very large)

• served as the 1st U.S. government from 1776-1781

Describe the Coercive/Intolerable Acts.

• 4 acts passed by Parliament in 1774

• Boston Port Act: closed down Boston Harbor

• Massachusetts Government Act: WMPO elected to legislature cannot serve

• Administration of Justice Act: British soldiers can be tried for crimes in a different colony

• Quartering Act: homes must take in and accommodate for British soldiers

Describe Lexington and Concord.

• first battle where British troops marched from Boston to seize arms in Concord, but were confronted by minutemen in Lexington and then in Concord

• forced a British retreat and spread patriotism

• “shot heard round the world,” “the British are coming”

Between 1776 and 1777, most states adopted constitutions instead of charters. What were the common features?

• popular sovereignty: govern with consent of people

• limited government: powers restricted

• civil rights and liberties: made clear that sovereign people held certain unalienable rights

• separation of powers and checks and balances: 3 branches, each could check each other in some way

Describe the Articles of Confederation.

• powers: Congress can declare war, deal with financial issues, and settle state disputes

• obligations: states promised obedience to Congress and respect to other states’ laws

• weaknesses: 1 state vote regardless of size, Congress unable to tax, Congress unable to regulate foreign and interstate commerce, amendments only with 100% consent, 9/13 majority to pass laws, no national court system, no executive to force acts of Congress, only a “firm league of friendship”

Describe the Critical Period.

• war ended on October 19, 1781

• Treaty of Paris signed in 1783

• AoC intensified problems: jealousy, suspicion, refused to give money to support central government, foreign agreements made without approval, individual military forces organized, taxed goods from other states, debts unpaid, printed own money, prices increasing

Describe Shays’ Rebellion.

• in 1786, small farmers were angry due to losing land after they could not make payments on taxes and debts (no longer WMPOs after court and thus had no vote)

• Daniel Shays led an armed uprising and forced several state judges to close courts

• attempted to attack federal arsenal in Springfield, but was stopped by troops

• legislature passed to ease debts

Describe the call for a stronger government.

• after Shays’ Rebellion, country realized the need for an executive and broader federal powers

• representatives from MD and VA met at Mt. Vernon in 1785

• discussed trade issues, but the success of the meeting led to the VGA requesting all 13 colonies to meet (Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia)

Describe the process of creating the Constitution.

• meeting to revise the AoC led to a meeting to create a new government whose power would come from a Constitution

• “assembly of demigods”

• leaders: James Madison the co-author of the AoC, Gouvernor Morris a lawyer who developed system of money, Hamilton a lawyer who favored strong central government, Washington a successful leader of Continental Army

• not present: Patrick Henry “smelled a rat” (resembling monarchy), Samuel Adams and James Hancock not selected as delegates, Thomas Jefferson and Thomas Paine in Paris, John Adams on diplomatic missions

What were the 2 constitutional plans?

• The Virginia Plan: 3 branches of government, bicameral legislature, national executive and national judiciary, representation based on population

• The New Jersey Plan: unicameral Congress, more than 1 federal executive, equal representation among states

What were the constitutional compromises made?

• The Connecticut Compromise/The Great Compromise: bicameral Congress, 1 house with equal representation (Senate) and 1 house with state representation (House of Representatives)

• The 3/5 Compromise: slaves were counted as 3/5 of a person to determine state population

• The Commerce and Slave Trade Compromise: Congress forbidden from taxing exported goods, not allowed to act on slave trade for 20 years

What were the reactions to the new Constitution?

• framers were familiar with political writings of Locke and Rousseau, also seasoned by 2nd CC, AoC, and state government experiences

• some disappointed like George Mason of VA (to his death)

• most agreed with Franklin (rising sun on Washington’s chair)

Describe the process of ratifying the Constitution.

• Federalists argued FOR, AoC were weak

• Anti-Federalists argued AGAINST, objected strong central government, wanted a Bill of Rights and more state power

• Federalist Papers (Hamilton, Madison, Jay) pushed support

• 9 states ratified by 1788, but needed larger states like NY and VA so great debates were held until

Describe the inauguration of the new government.

• new Congress met on March 4, 1789, but did not meet the quorum

• finally did on April 6 and Washington was unanimously elected President and inaugurated on April 30