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Thomas Paine
an English born political-philosopher who wrote Common Sense during the American Revolution
Samuel Adams
he was a politician during the American Revolution who was a leader of the Massachusets Radicals and played a part in the Boston Tea Party
John Locke
an Enlightenment thinker who believed in life, liberty, and property which played a role in the Declaration of Independence
Thomas Hobbes
an Enlightenment thinker who believed that all humans were naturally bad
Thomas Jefferson
the third president of the United States who wrote a majority of the Declaration of Independence
Alexander Hamilton
the first secretary of the treasury and he helped draft the United States Constitution
George Washington
the first United States president
John Adams
second president of the United States who was also the first vice president
Common Sense
written by Thomas Paine and it advocated for United States independence from British
American Revolution
A war for independence fought by the American colonies seeking to break free from British rule. The war began in 1775 with the Battles of Lexington and Concord, and ended in 1783 with the signing of the Treaty of Paris.
Why was the American Revolution caused?
The colonists sought to assert their rights and liberties, protest British taxation policies, and establish self-governance, leading to a desire for independence from British rule.
United States Constitution
this document outlines the framework of the federal government, including the three branches: the legislative, executive, and judicial branches. It guarantees certain rights and freedoms to the American people, such as freedom of speech, religion, and the right to bear arms. It also serves as the foundation of the American legal system and is considered one of the most important documents in American history.
Ratification
formal approval of a document including treaties and laws
Checks and Balances
the system of a government where each branch has the ability to limit the powers of the other branches
Articles of Confederation
the first constitution of the United States and most power was given to individual states, but it failed since it was unable to enforce laws
Bill of Rights
First Amendment: Freedom of speech, religion, press, assembly, and petition.
Second Amendment: Right to bear arms.
Third Amendment: Protection against quartering of troops.
Fourth Amendment: Protection against unreasonable searches and seizures.
Fifth Amendment: Protection of rights to life, liberty, and property.
Sixth Amendment: Right to a fair trial.
Seventh Amendment: Right to a trial by jury.
Eighth Amendment: Protection against cruel and unusual punishment.
Ninth Amendment: Protection of rights not specifically listed in the Constitution.
Tenth Amendment: Powers not delegated to the federal government are reserved for the states or the people.
What are the three branches of government?
executive, legislative, and judicial
Executive Branch
consists of the president of the United States and they enforce laws
Legislative Branch
consists of House of Representatives and the Senate (known as Congress) and they create all laws
Judicial Branch
consists of the Supreme Court and they basically decide if laws and actions of president are unconstitutional or constitutional
Federalist
they believed in weaker state governments, a centralized government, indirect election of government officials, and democracy a lead figure was Alexander Hamilton
Anti-Federalists
they believe in a weak central government and they preferred small localized governments and a leading figure was Thomas Jefferson
Virginia Plan
a plan for a new form of government that highlighted the three branches of government and wanted representation to be based on a state’s population
New Jersey Plan
a proposal of a new government that advocated for equal representation for each state so that small states would have equal participation in government
Great Compromise
occurred as an effect of the Virginia Plan and the New Jersey Plan where the House of Representatives has representation based on population (Virginia Plan) and equal representation in the Senate (New Jersey Plan)
XYZ Affair
three French agents demanded bribes to negotiate a treaty and started a Quasi-War
Jay’s Treaty
diplomatic agreement signed between U.S. and Britian
Louisiana Purchase
the U.S. was able to buy the Louisiana territory from France and it caused chaos about whether it would be slave or non-slave states
Marbury vs. Madison
someone did not give documents to let appointed judges start their jobs so one of the judges sued the original guy
Note 
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