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Unit 1: Foundation of the U.S. Government

Definitions:

  1. State of nature → what life would be like without government, or before government existed 

  2. Natural Rights → rights the people are born with

  3. Social Contract → an agreement between the government and the people for the people to follow the laws and in return for the government to protect their rights (created by John Locke)

  4. Articles of Confederation → the first constitution of America

  5. Northwest Ordinance → a bill that gave people in the northwestern lands the right to organize their government

  6. Treaty of Paris → the treaty that recognizes America as a country

  7. Declaration of Independence → declares that the 13 colonies as independent states, free from Britain

  8. Tories/Loyalists → people that stayed loyal to Britain

  9. Patriots → colonists that supported America

  10. Shays’ Rebellion → Farmers protested against the Articles of Confederation because they were struggling with debt from taxes, causing delegates to rewrite the Articles of Confederation

  11. Constitutional Convention → the “editing” of the Articles of Confederation

  12. Checks and Balances → provides each branch of the government to check the other branches and prevent any one branch from becoming too powerful

  13. New Jersey Plan (Equal Representation) → each state should get the same amount of voters. 

  14. Virginia Plan (Proportional Representation) → states with more population should get more votes and states with less population should get fewer votes

  15. Great/Connecticut Compromise → The Congress split into two, one for the small states and big states' representation

  16. 3/5 Compromise →  ⅗ of a slave for both taxation and representation

  17. Fugitive Slave Clause → Slaves to be returned to their owners if they escaped

  18. Enumerated Powers → specific and celery written laws in the Constitution (limited powers)

  19. Necessary and Proper Clause → Gives Congress the power to write the laws written in the Constitution (broad powers)

  20. Federalists → supported the ratification of the United States Constitution

  21. Anti-Federalists → opposed the ratification of the United States Constitution

  22. Bill of Rights → amendments that were added after the Constitution

  23. Ratification → approval


Revolutionary War ↴

The Revolutionary War lasted six long years and ended in victory for the former American colonists.

  • Early in the war, the American Military was struggling greatly 

  • During the winter of 1777-78, the American Military regroup found hope in the Valley Forge

  • In 1778, an American Diplomat named Benjamin Franklin helped secure a treaty with France to help the American Military

  •  Benedict Arnold was the American General who committed treason by switching sides with the British

  • The Treaty of Paris was a formal action that officially ended the Revolutionary War and brought Victory to the colonists 


Battle of Saratoga - A war where the French helped America get supplies

Diplomacy -  the practice of carrying formal relationships with governments of other countries

Quebec campaign -  When the Americans invaded Canada

“The Shot Heard ‘round the world” -  the first gunshot of the Revolutionary War

Treason -  the betrayal of one's country

Treaty of Paris -  the treaty that ended the American Revolution

Yorktown surrender - The French blocked their retreat by a body of water, causing the British to surrender




Articles of Confederation ↴

America's first constitution was needed to unify the states and to conduct the war between Great Britain and the 13 colonies. It did not work as it involved a weak national government

  • Fears when creating the Articles of Confederation

    • People's fear of a strong government

    • Some states have more power than others in a national government

  • Major achievements

    • Fought the War for Independence against Great Britain

    • negotiated the Treaty of Paris to end the American Revolution

  • Major problems

    • Citizens thought their property rights were threatened

    • Congress had no power to regulate the trade of states

    • Congress had no power over the state government of citizens

    • The national government was only split into Congress 


Shays’ Rebellion ↴

Farmers protested against the Articles of Confederation because they were struggling with debt from taxes, causing delegates to rewrite the Articles of Confederation. It showed that The Articles of Confederation was weak and a stronger government was necessary.


Constitutional/Philadelphia Convention↴

The Philadelphia Convention was to improve the Articles of Confederation. 55 of the delegates, young and rich/decently wealthy, attended the meeting in Philadelphia. They became known as the framers of the Constitution.


Important Delegates

James Madison

Virginia

“Father of the Constitution” ideas were the basis of the national government 

Gouverneur Morris

New York

He played an important role in writing the Constitution and preparing its final draft

Benjamin Franklin

Pennsylvania 

He encouraged delegates to cooperate when they disagreed


Important rules the delegates followed

The framers wrote a new constitution instead of correcting the old one

They kept a record of the entire conversation during the making of the Constitution

Each state had only one vote, regardless of the population


Thomas Jefferson and James Adams did not attend the convention because they were in Europe 

The Big States and the Small States ↴

The Big States believed that the states with a greater population should have more votes (“Proportional Representation”). The small states believed that each state should have the same number of representatives in Congress (“Equal Representation”). In the end, a great compromise was created to give the best of both worlds.

Virginia Plan

  • Strong national government

  • 2 governments ( State and national government)

  • The national government made and enforced laws and had the power to collect taxes

  • Divided government ( legislative, executive, judicial)

  • The Legislative was split into the House of Representatives and the Senate

  • The number of representatives is proportional

New Jersey Plan

  • Weak national government

  • One House for Congress

  • Congress had the power to collect taxes on products, and stamps, and collect money from states if refused 

  • Congress regulated trade with states and nations 

  • Government ( executive and judicial)

  • Congress-appointed people and executive

  • The executive branch would appoint members from the US Supreme Court


Great Compromise (Connecticut Compromise)

  • Congress (Senate + House of Representatives)

  • Membership in the house is based on proportional representation

  • The House has the power to create bills dealing with taxes and government spending

  • Membership in the Senate is based on equal representation

  • At first, the Senate had the power to accept/ reject bills related to taxes and spending passed in the House, then it was billed involving tax and spending developed in the house


The North and South ↴

The Southern States wanted the slaves to be counted as they didn't have a lot of citizens. on the other hand, the northern states didn't have many slaves, so they just counted the citizens.


Slave Trade - Slave trade continued between North and South, and would not end before 1808


⅗ Compromise - 3/5 of a slave for both representation and taxation


Tariffs - A tax on goods and products imported from other nations 




The Constitution ↴

A new constitution was written where 9 out of the 13 states had to ratify the Constitution to make it official in New Hampshire.


Anti-federalists - The Anti-Federalists disliked the Constitution as it gave too much power to the national government; allowing the states to have more power 


Federalist - The Federalists liked the new constitution as it was a strong national government that would maintain order 

Unit 1: Foundation of the U.S. Government

Definitions:

  1. State of nature → what life would be like without government, or before government existed 

  2. Natural Rights → rights the people are born with

  3. Social Contract → an agreement between the government and the people for the people to follow the laws and in return for the government to protect their rights (created by John Locke)

  4. Articles of Confederation → the first constitution of America

  5. Northwest Ordinance → a bill that gave people in the northwestern lands the right to organize their government

  6. Treaty of Paris → the treaty that recognizes America as a country

  7. Declaration of Independence → declares that the 13 colonies as independent states, free from Britain

  8. Tories/Loyalists → people that stayed loyal to Britain

  9. Patriots → colonists that supported America

  10. Shays’ Rebellion → Farmers protested against the Articles of Confederation because they were struggling with debt from taxes, causing delegates to rewrite the Articles of Confederation

  11. Constitutional Convention → the “editing” of the Articles of Confederation

  12. Checks and Balances → provides each branch of the government to check the other branches and prevent any one branch from becoming too powerful

  13. New Jersey Plan (Equal Representation) → each state should get the same amount of voters. 

  14. Virginia Plan (Proportional Representation) → states with more population should get more votes and states with less population should get fewer votes

  15. Great/Connecticut Compromise → The Congress split into two, one for the small states and big states' representation

  16. 3/5 Compromise →  ⅗ of a slave for both taxation and representation

  17. Fugitive Slave Clause → Slaves to be returned to their owners if they escaped

  18. Enumerated Powers → specific and celery written laws in the Constitution (limited powers)

  19. Necessary and Proper Clause → Gives Congress the power to write the laws written in the Constitution (broad powers)

  20. Federalists → supported the ratification of the United States Constitution

  21. Anti-Federalists → opposed the ratification of the United States Constitution

  22. Bill of Rights → amendments that were added after the Constitution

  23. Ratification → approval


Revolutionary War ↴

The Revolutionary War lasted six long years and ended in victory for the former American colonists.

  • Early in the war, the American Military was struggling greatly 

  • During the winter of 1777-78, the American Military regroup found hope in the Valley Forge

  • In 1778, an American Diplomat named Benjamin Franklin helped secure a treaty with France to help the American Military

  •  Benedict Arnold was the American General who committed treason by switching sides with the British

  • The Treaty of Paris was a formal action that officially ended the Revolutionary War and brought Victory to the colonists 


Battle of Saratoga - A war where the French helped America get supplies

Diplomacy -  the practice of carrying formal relationships with governments of other countries

Quebec campaign -  When the Americans invaded Canada

“The Shot Heard ‘round the world” -  the first gunshot of the Revolutionary War

Treason -  the betrayal of one's country

Treaty of Paris -  the treaty that ended the American Revolution

Yorktown surrender - The French blocked their retreat by a body of water, causing the British to surrender




Articles of Confederation ↴

America's first constitution was needed to unify the states and to conduct the war between Great Britain and the 13 colonies. It did not work as it involved a weak national government

  • Fears when creating the Articles of Confederation

    • People's fear of a strong government

    • Some states have more power than others in a national government

  • Major achievements

    • Fought the War for Independence against Great Britain

    • negotiated the Treaty of Paris to end the American Revolution

  • Major problems

    • Citizens thought their property rights were threatened

    • Congress had no power to regulate the trade of states

    • Congress had no power over the state government of citizens

    • The national government was only split into Congress 


Shays’ Rebellion ↴

Farmers protested against the Articles of Confederation because they were struggling with debt from taxes, causing delegates to rewrite the Articles of Confederation. It showed that The Articles of Confederation was weak and a stronger government was necessary.


Constitutional/Philadelphia Convention↴

The Philadelphia Convention was to improve the Articles of Confederation. 55 of the delegates, young and rich/decently wealthy, attended the meeting in Philadelphia. They became known as the framers of the Constitution.


Important Delegates

James Madison

Virginia

“Father of the Constitution” ideas were the basis of the national government 

Gouverneur Morris

New York

He played an important role in writing the Constitution and preparing its final draft

Benjamin Franklin

Pennsylvania 

He encouraged delegates to cooperate when they disagreed


Important rules the delegates followed

The framers wrote a new constitution instead of correcting the old one

They kept a record of the entire conversation during the making of the Constitution

Each state had only one vote, regardless of the population


Thomas Jefferson and James Adams did not attend the convention because they were in Europe 

The Big States and the Small States ↴

The Big States believed that the states with a greater population should have more votes (“Proportional Representation”). The small states believed that each state should have the same number of representatives in Congress (“Equal Representation”). In the end, a great compromise was created to give the best of both worlds.

Virginia Plan

  • Strong national government

  • 2 governments ( State and national government)

  • The national government made and enforced laws and had the power to collect taxes

  • Divided government ( legislative, executive, judicial)

  • The Legislative was split into the House of Representatives and the Senate

  • The number of representatives is proportional

New Jersey Plan

  • Weak national government

  • One House for Congress

  • Congress had the power to collect taxes on products, and stamps, and collect money from states if refused 

  • Congress regulated trade with states and nations 

  • Government ( executive and judicial)

  • Congress-appointed people and executive

  • The executive branch would appoint members from the US Supreme Court


Great Compromise (Connecticut Compromise)

  • Congress (Senate + House of Representatives)

  • Membership in the house is based on proportional representation

  • The House has the power to create bills dealing with taxes and government spending

  • Membership in the Senate is based on equal representation

  • At first, the Senate had the power to accept/ reject bills related to taxes and spending passed in the House, then it was billed involving tax and spending developed in the house


The North and South ↴

The Southern States wanted the slaves to be counted as they didn't have a lot of citizens. on the other hand, the northern states didn't have many slaves, so they just counted the citizens.


Slave Trade - Slave trade continued between North and South, and would not end before 1808


⅗ Compromise - 3/5 of a slave for both representation and taxation


Tariffs - A tax on goods and products imported from other nations 




The Constitution ↴

A new constitution was written where 9 out of the 13 states had to ratify the Constitution to make it official in New Hampshire.


Anti-federalists - The Anti-Federalists disliked the Constitution as it gave too much power to the national government; allowing the states to have more power 


Federalist - The Federalists liked the new constitution as it was a strong national government that would maintain order 

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