Social Studies Unit 1 Test

Historical Inquiry and Origins of American Government

artifact

material evidence from the past

evidence

facts and information that can be used to test whether a belief or proposition is true or valid

historical inquiry

the process of determining what happened that involves posing questions, and collecting and analyzing sources to build historical interpretation

historical reading skills

specific ways in which historians critically read a document that includes sourcing, contextualizing, closely reading, and corroborating

sourcing

attempting to identify the origin of a particular historical account/artifact by identifying who, why, where, and when it was created

contextualizing

placing an idea, statement or event into the environment in which it was created (time and/or place)

close reading

thoughtful, critical analysis of a text that focuses on significant details or patterns in order to uncover layers of meaning that lead to deep comprehension

corroborating

the use of additional sources to determine the extent to which they support each other

historical account

a report, description, or story of an event from the past that is put together using evidence from multiple sources

perspective

a particular attitude or way of regarding or seeing something

region

a geographic area that shares at least one common characteristic

geographic

having to do with the natural features (including natural resources) of a region and how humans interact with those features

economic

having to do with the use of resources that have value to individuals and societies: focusing on the production, distribution, and consumption (use) of goods and services

sociocultural

having to do with the identities, customs, beliefs, lifestyles and traditions of groups of people

political

having to do with the ability to influence decisions of groups; exercising or seeking power and authority in the government or public affairs of a state, municipality, etc

state of nature

a concept used in political philosophy to describe the conditions of what the lives of people might have been like before societies came into existence

resources

a source of supply, support or aid that is necessary for human survival; a natural feature or phenomenon that enhances the quality of human life

natural rights

a political idea that an individual enters into society with certain basic rights and that no government can deny these rights

life

the right to survive and feel safe from threats to your existence

liberty

freedom; the ability to choose without external inference considered by Enlightenment philosophers to be a natural right

property

possessions such as land and objects, considered by Enlightenment philosophers to be a natural right

social compact/social contract

an agreement among the members of a society that individuals willingly surrender some of their natural rights in exchange for protection by the society in the form of laws and rules

natural rights

the idea that all people are endowed with the natural rights of life, liberty, and property

order

a situation in society when certain rights are protected by some form of government, usually by rules and laws to ensure societal organization

laws

rules and regulations made for a society by a government

Magna Carta

an agreement entered into by an English King and rebel barons to protect barons from certain actions of the king

rule of law

the idea that all people and institutions must follow the laws, which are fairly applied to everyone

Mayflower Compact

the first attempt by English colonists to establish a temporary, legally-binding form of self government

English Bill of Rights

 an act of Parliament that asserted governmental supremacy of Parliament over the monarch in England

limited government

the principle where governmental power is restricted by law, usually in a written constitution

Know the types of questions historians ask when conducting a historical inquiry

Who created/published this ? What evidence does this author use? Where was this written? When was this written? Why was this written? How was this created?

Characteristics of the New England Colonies

Close knit towns, rocky soil, in Massachusetts, family and community labor, family farms, religious leaders had a big influence

Characteristics of the Middle Colonies

small settlements, great farmland, Pennsylvania, servants and slaves, small family farms, breadbasket crops, trading goods and services with indigenous people, religion affects economy, small town governments

Characteristics of the Southern Colonies

large isolated settlements, good soil for farming, virginia, servants and slaves, cash crops (tobacco, rice, etc.), large slave camp systems, traded goods and services with indigenous people, religion affected economy, house of Burgesses, royal governors, wealthy enslaversW

Why do people living in groups form governments?

Because the people want to have natural rights, life, liberty, and property. In the Magna Carta, Mayflower Compacts, and the English Bill of Rights, they all reference these natural rights people feel they need to have. Right to life is knowing that nobody has the right to kill you. Right to liberty is being able to be free, and right to property is the right to own things such as land and money. They entered into a social contract giving up some of their rights, so they could have other rights they needed.

How did ideas about government influence the political thought of the English colonists in America?

The idea of government sparked the interest of the English colonists because of the Magna Carta. English colonists were wanting religious freedom, and so they agreed on some rules and laws and  wrote the Mayflower Compact.

(English Bill of Rights, Magna Carta, Mayflower Compact)