American Government Chapter 2

Sugar Tax

tax on trade goods (textiles, coffee, sugar)

Stamp Tax

tax on paper (news papers)

Ordered Government

government maintains order and predictability

Limited Government

government authority is prescribed and restricted by the law, and individual's rights are protected against government intrusion

Representative Government

should serve the will of the people

First Continental Congress

Delegates from every colony except Georgia, created the Declaration of Rights that protested Britain's colonial policies

Intolerable Acts

restrict certain rights like the right to hold meetings and closed ports in Massachusetts until they paid back the damages from the Boston Tea Party

Delegates agreed to...

help each other in times of war

First government of the US

Second Continental Congress

Responsibilities of the Second Continental Congress

• raised army

• created money systems

• made treaties with foreign powers

Jefferson

wrote the declaration of independence

ideas of the declaration of independence

• "Created Equal"

• "Certain unalienable right"

• "The consent of the governed"

The men at the constitutional convention

Framers

New Jersey Plan

• Led by Patterson

• One person per state, one house based on equality

• congress can tax and regulate interstate trade

• 2 federal executives chosen by congress, can be removed by majority votes of States

• Federal Judiciary chosen by executive

Virginia Plan

• led by Madison and Edmund Randolph

• Bicameral House:

• Lower House- rep based off of state population or how much money they give to support Federal Government

• Upper House- based off of legislative body chosen by House "National Executive" and "National Judiciary as a 'Council of Revisions"

Articles of Confederation

"a firm league of friendship among the 13 colonies" set up a unicameral house, made up of delegates of the 13 colonies

The Great Compromise

House- based on state population Senate- equal vote from each state

What question did the great compromise ask?

How should states be represented in Congress?

The Three-Fifth Compromise

Free people count as one whole person 3/5 of enslaved people counted South had to pay taxes for enslaved counted

Commerce / Slave Trade Compromise

• Forbid congress the power to export goods from any state

• Couldn't interfere with slave trade for 20 years

Weakness of Articles of Confederation

• No executive or judicial branch

• Congress couldn't tax

• Could not have a standing army

• Every state had one vote

No executive or judicial branch

no checks or balances, congress had ALL the power to make war, make treaties, or borrow money

Congress Could Not Tax

could only receive money by asking and borrowing from the states

Could Not Have a Standing Army

Asked for troops from the states Full Faith and Credit Policy: a pact to treat each other equally, provide troops, fund congress, and return fugitives over state borders

Every state had one vote

could only pass laws with 9/13 delegate votes and needed 13/13 to change the Articles of Confederation

How many signed the constitution

39/41

Federalists

Led by Madison and Hamilton, were in favor of the Constitution and stressed the weakness of the Articles of Confederation

Anti-federalist

Led by Patrick Henry, against the ratification of the constitution, feared presidency would become a monarchy, forced the Bill of Rights

Federalist Writings

Federalist 10 and Federalist 51; written by Madison and Hamilton

Anti-Federalist Writings

Brutus 1; written by Robert “Brutus” Yales

How many states voted to ratify the constitution

13 out of 13

First President

George Washington

First capital of US

New York City

What compromise created the United Congress today, and how did this compromises set up the representatives for both houses?

The Connecticut (Great) Compromise, set up the House of Reps and the Senate one having representation based on population and one having equal representation.

What was the first government of the United States and what were two of their responsibilities?

The Second Constitutional Congress

1. Raise an army

2. made treaties with foreign powers.

Name four weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation and explain why they were ineffective and harmful to the United States.

1. Congress could not tax: the government had no way of raising funds and had to ask the states for money.

2. Could not regulate interstate trade: this led to fights and disputes between states.

3. Every state got one vote: passed laws with 9/13 and 13/13 to change the articles of confederation

4. could not have a standing army: had to ask for troops from the states and could not enforce or protect the union from domestic or foreign attacks.