Civics Unit 4

3.28.25 | Colonial America

Jamestown, Virgina (1606)

1)      First settlement and colony

2)      Encourages colonization of America

3)      First settlers were actually searching for gold

a.       When they established Jamestown they didn’t bring a lot of farming equipment with them

b.       When ships returned they found most of the town died

Plymouth Massachusetts (1620)

1)      Pilgrims

a.       Searching for religious freedom

b.       Puritan was not allowed in Europe

c.       Left church of England

d.       Queen elizabeth I wanted to stop bloodshed between catholic & protestant

2)      Mayflower compact

a.       1^st agreement of self-government in America

b.       Pilgrims came to an agreement how they would set up government, what it would be based on

c.       Constitutional theocracy essentially

The Thirteen Colonies

1)      North America had 13 colonies under British control

a.       Based on different kinds of commerce

2)      Post Plymouth

New England Colonies

1)      CT, MA, NH AND RI

2)      Mostly puritans who value hard work

3)      Lots of natural resources like timber, fur and fishing

4)      Calvinists were alllll about working super duper hard

Middle Colonies

1)      NY, DE, NJ, PA

2)      Mostly Dutch and German settlers

3)      Better farming: wheat, tobacco

4)      Amish are anabaptist, only adult members

Economic Prosperity

1)      America provided lots of opportunities

2)      Cash crops: tobacco and cotton sold in Europe

3)      Indentured servants: people who work for cost of journey to America

Southern Colinies

1)      VA, MD, NC, SC, GA

2)      Plantations: Large Scale Farming

3)      Depended on labor of enslaved Africans

4)      Cotton! You can double harvest it

Triangle Trade

1)      Economic relationship between colonies, Africa and England

2)      Soon America started domestic slave trade

3)      Middle passage

The Navigation Act

1)      Regulated trade between England and colonies

2)      Happens because of triangle trade

3)      Navigation act were not designed to raise revenue

4)      At the beginning the colonists were not upset

Salutary Neglect

1)      Colonies are allowed local self-government

2)      Fundamental orders (CT): 1^st written constitution in America

3.31.25 | Steps to American Independence (1754-1774)

New France

1)      Area of north America controlled by France

French and Indian War (1754-1763)

1)      First major war

2)      France and England fight for control of the north

3)      Lots of things happen!

Albany Plan of Union (1754)

1)      Alliance of 13 colonies first time they work together

a.       Should they raise militias? Let British gov handle problems?

2)      Create colonial militias to fight with British

a.       Work better to fight for a common cause

b.       States draft their militias

Great Britain Wins

1)      Great Britain acquires Canada, ohio river valley and florida!

a.       All the territories in new France?

Royal Proclamation (1763)

1)      England prohibits Americans from settling in Indian territories

American Population Divided

1)      Sons of liberty, supported independence (1/3)

2)      Tories: loyal to the king

End of Salutary Neglect (1764)

1)      New taxes to help pay for costs of war

2)      Colonists upset

3)      No taxation without representation!

Thomas Paine

1)      Common sense

2)      “no taxation without representation” (slogan of revolution)

3)      Common sense can not be legislated by congress

Declaratory Act (1766)

1)      British parliament and king tells colonists they (British) are in control, shut up and take it

2)      Parliament yells at them and makes fun of them!

3)      “if we wanna tax, we gon tax”

Boston Massacre & Tea Party (1770 & 1773)

1)      Sons of liberty reaction to declaratory acts

2)      Seen as acts of terrorism to British

Coercive Acts (1774)

1)      Martial law in boston

a.       Military is in charge of the law

2)      Force citizens to house British soldiers

3)      Called “intolerable acts” by colonists

4.2.25 | Sparks of Revolution

Lexington & Concord 1775

1)      Spark of the American revolution

2)      Shot heard around the world

a.       Idea that a small group of citizens stand up to the mighty British empire

Battle of Bunker Hill 1775

1)      First major battle of the revolution

a.       Colonists lose bunker hill

b.        Major conflict between rag tag army and official British army

2)      Don’t fire until you see the white of their eyes

a.       Thomas prescott

3)      British technically fight in long lines

Second Continental Congress 1775

1)      Meets in Philly to discuss wat should be done

2)      Should we petition king? Ask forgiveness? Declare war? Independence?

3)      Lots of controversy

4)      Eventually Sons of Liberty decide independence, they cannot be under the tyranny of parliament

Declaration of Independence 1776

1)      Official declaration of war and independence

2)      We wanna be independent, lets make war

3)      All 13 colonies sign

Battle of Long Island 1776

1)      Put together colonial army, hire GW to make him serve

2)      American defeat allows British to take control of NYC and control of the Hudson river

Battles of Trenton and Princeton 1776

1)      First major victory under Washington

2)      Before this war happened in spring.. but understanding is during Christmas/holiday season no attacks! Cause everyone is celebrating! Winter was seen as a rest time, recover, wounded can get better

3)      Washington is like we need a victory

a.       How can we guarantee a win??? FIGHT!

b.       Large British and Germany army in Trention & Princeton and so GW attacks on Christmas morning

4)      Morale booster! Captured supplies! Sustain and continue fighting in AR

Battle of Saratoga 1777

1)      Turning point of revolution

2)      French become allies to colonies

Valley Forge 1777-78

1)      Great trial through winter

2)      Baron von Steuben turns the continental army into a professional army

a.       Doesn’t just help train

b.       He also brings food, clothing, weapons that the army desperately needs

c.       Steuben put face on stamp

Battle of King’s Mountain 1780

1)      Decisive win for Colonial army

2)      Forced Cornwallis to retreat

Battle of Yorktown 1781

1)      Final battle of the wa

2)      Cornwallis forced to surrender to the colonial army

Treaty of Paris 1783

1)      Official end to the revolution

2)      America becomes a nation

4.3.25 | Foundations of American Government

Sovereignty

1)      Right of government to rule its citizens

2)      In America, Power is given to the people

3)      Enlightenment ideals are shaping America

4)      Where our power comes from? Power comes through participation and voting

Direct Democracy

1)      All citizens participate in the government

2)      Ex; town meeting

Republicanism

1)      Montesquieu

2)      Citizens elect representatives to serve the people

Civic Virtue

1)      Citizens act for the common good, not for selfish reasons

2)      Government WORKS FOR THE PEOPLE

Constitutionalism

1)      Merge into with our government

2)      Citizens create a document in which men are governed by laws

3)      Amendments can be added

Liberalism

1)      Foundation of government

2)      Liberties (freedom) should be protected by the government

3)      Citizens have natural rights (life, liberty, & property)

4)      Based on john locke

a.       We all have natural rights, we are born with this!!

Checks and Balances

1)      Powers of branches to make sure no one branch becomes too powerful

2)      Ex; veto, impeachment, etc..

4.4.25 | Articles of Confederation (1777-1778)

“League of Friendship” (1777)

1)      Loose political agreement between 13 states

2)      Allows states to work together to fight British

3)      People still refer to themselves as independent states

Organization

1)      Weak central government

2)      More powers given to individual colonies

3)      Citizens in each colony elect one state gov per state, each gov elects one representative, then those representatives meet

Thirteen Colonies

1)      Each colony became a state

2)      Each state had only one vote- 9/13 to pass new laws

State Government

1)      Each state had its own government

2)      Each state made its own money and collected their own taxes

a.       No currency

b.       No exchange

Problems with the Articles

1)      Congress could not tax the colonies

2)      No national army

3)      No national currency

Northwest Ordinance

1)      System on how to make new states

2)      Population: 5000

3)      Enabling act: allows a territory to create its own constitution

Shay’s Rebellion (1787)

1)      Mass. Farmers protest taxes

2)      Shows weakness of articles of confederation

4.7.25 | Creating the Constitution (1787-1790)

The Constitutional Convention

1)      Who: 12 states without Rhode Island

a.       Rhode Island is afraid because of the small size that they won’t get the representation

b.       They do ratify constitution later on

2)      George Washington- President of the convention

a.       Came out of the retirement

3)      Where: Philadelphia

Virgina Plan

1)      James Madison

2)      Legislature based on two houses, house of representatives and a senate (Bicameral)

3)      The number of seats in each house would be based on states population

4)      Big states love small states hate

New Jersey Plan

1)      William Patterson

2)      Called for one house legislature (unicameral)

3)      Each state would have one vote, regardless of the population

The Great (CT) Compromise

1)      Roger Sherman

2)      Bicameral legislature

3)      The house of representatives would be made up of delegates based on a state’s population

4)      The senate would be made up of delegates in each state and would have two

The Three-Fifths Compromise

1)      How to count slaves

2)      A compromise was reached when it was decided to count slaves a 3/5^th person

Federalist Party

1)      Formed by Alexander Hamilton

a.       Supporters of the constitution

Anti Federalists

1)      Opposed to the constitution

2)      Wanted to maintain powers of the States

3)      Thomas Jefferson

The Federalists Papers

1)      Argued for the constitution

2)      James Madison & John Jay, coauthors

Bill of Rights (1791)

1)      First 10 amendments

2)      Used to convince for ratification

Ratification (1791)

1)      Delaware Is the 1^st state

2)      North Carolina & rhode island are the last

4.8.25 | Constitution

Organization

1)      Preamble

a.       introduction

2)      Articles

a.       Big ol chunk, 7 of em

b.       Each deal with different branch or different powers

3)      Amendments

a.       Changes to the constitution

b.       First 10= bill of rights

Preamble

1)      Explains the purpose of the constitution

2)      “We the people”

Central Principles

1)      Defines and limits the powers of the national government

2)      Defines relationship between states and national government

a.       How do states and national government interact with each other

b.       Different powers between states, how do we share these

3)      Guarantees basic rights to US citizens

a.       Amendments

Federalism

1)      Powers of federal, state and local government

2)      Different levels of government that we have in America

Delegated

1)      Powers of national government

2)      Print money, regulate interstate/international trade, make treaties, declare war

Reserved

1)      Powers of state government

2)      Issue licenses, ratify amendments and handle elections

Concurrent

1)      Shared powers

2)      Collect taxes, improve infrastructure, borrow $ and court system

Articles of Constitution

1)      Article 1: legislative branch

2)      Article 2: executive branch

3)      Article 3: Judicial Branch

4)      Article 4: requires cooperation among states

5)      Article 5: proposal of amendments

6)      Article 6: constitution is supreme law

7)      Article 7: ratification of constitution