Articles of Confederation and The Framing of the Constitution

Why was the US interested in the Lousiana Purchase and westward expansion overall.

-Avoidance of problems with France -Natural Resources (especially Gold) -Surplus Land -Expanding the economy due to the profits of what lay in store in the west

What major issues did Andrew Jackson face as president and where did he stand on them?

-Bank of United States: the National Bank kept most of the Treasury's funds and handled most of the nation's money. In a way, it worked with the government, though it was a private institution. It made a percentage profit of the nation's loans, so it benefited from doing nothing. Jackson vetoed the re charter of the bank and killed the bank, then he placed amounts of the money in smaller, state banks. -Native Americans: Cherokee Nation v. Georgia (1831) declared that the Cherokee Nation was dependent on the US, and the US could do whatever they'd like to Indian Tribes. Worcester v. Georgia (1832) declared tribal sovereignty, and the US could not enforce American laws on them. Jackson ignored the Worcester verdict and claimed that Indians were not their own independent nation and forced them off their land.

What evidence suggests that Jackson was a President for the common man?

-Listened to the people's opinions and improved upon them. -Moved Native American nations away from where his citizens didn't want them to be (Trail of Tears). -Eliminated the Second bank of the United States so that the people may not be "oppressed" by them.

Where in the Constitution would one find the protection of basic rights?

Bill of Rights

What are the 3 branches of Government?

Executive, Legislative, Judicial

How did George Washingtons leadership as president help create a stable political foundation for the US?

He stressed that we should stay away from permanent alliances with foreign countries. He also warned against the growing formation of political parties.

What is meant when the constitution is reffered to as the "supreme law of the land"?

It is called supreme because all other sub forms of government within the country and all legislation passed by individual states and their local districts must not pass laws that supercede the rights and laws of the Federal Government. In a word, the Federal Government gives and protects the rights of all of its citizens and those rights can not be infringed upon by any other legislation which violates those rights. Supreme=highest law to which all others are held accountable.

What was important about the Land Ordiance and the Northwest Ordinance?

The Land Ordinance of 1785 answered the question, "How will the new lands in the Ohio Valley be divided up?" It provided the acreage of the Old Northwest should be sold and that the proceeds be used to pay off the national debt. The Northwest Ordinance of 1787 answered the question, "How will new states be made once people move out there?" It made admission into the union a two stage affair

What were the major weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation?

The legislative branch (Congress) had no power to regulate commerce or forcibly collect taxes and there was no national executive or judicial branch. States competed against another for foreign trade. These were intentional weaknesses to avoid a monarchy.

What is the purpose of "checks and balances" in our government?

This was the principle of government under which separate branches are employed is to prevent actions by the other branches and are induced to share power. This principle has prevented any one branch from taking over the government and making all the decisions (i.e., having a dictatorship).

What exactly was compromised in the Great Compromise?

resulted in a bicameral (two houses) Congress, there would be representation by population in the House of Representatives, and equal representation would exist in the Senate. Each state, regardless of size, would have 2 Senators. All tax bills and revenues would originate in the House. This compromise combined the needs of both large and small states and formed a fair and sensible resolution to their problems.