Government Chapter 2 Google Doc Questions (not vocabulary)

Compare and Contrast the First and Second Continental Congress.

- During the First Continental Congress, the delegates discussed the worsening situation and debated plans for action. They send a Declaration of Rights, protesting Britain's colonial policies, to King George III. The delegates urged the colonies to refuse all trade with England until the hated taxes and trade regulations were repealed. - During the Second Continental Congress, the Revolution had begun and the "shot heard 'round the world" had been fired.

Describe the structure of the government set up under the Articles of Confederation.

-A Congress was the sole body created, made up of delegates chosen yearly by the States in whatever way their legislatures might direct. -Each state has only one vote in the Congress, regardless of population or wealth. -No executive or judicial branch was established - those functions were to be handled by committees of the Congress. -Every year the Congress chooses one member as its president. (This person is the presiding officer, but not the President of the United States.)

Explain how Britain's colonial policies contributed to the growth of self-government in the colonies

-Because the royal control was in London and such a long distance, the colonists got used to a self-government -The relationship between Britain and the colonies became somewhat federal and it provided a uniform system of money and credit and a common market for colonial trade -Colonies were also allowed a fair amount of self-rule; little was taken from them in direct taxes

Summarize the convention's major compromises and the effects of those decisions.

-Connecticut Compromise: it was agreed that Congress should be composed of two houses also called the Great Compromise -⅗ Compromise: provided that all "free persons" should be counted, and so, too, should "three fifths of all other persons" (slaves) -Commerce and Slave Trade Compromise: Congress was forbidden the power to tax the export goods from any State

Identify the major steps that lead to growing feelings of colonial unity.

-Early Attempts: In 1643, Massachusetts Bay, Plymouth, New Haven, and Connecticut settlements formed the New England Confederation for defense against Native American Tribes. The Confederation eventually lost importance and dissolved in 1684. William Penn offered a plan for intercolonial cooperation, largely in trade, defense, and criminal matters. It received little attention and was quickly forgotten. -The Albany Plan: Benjamin Franklin offered the Albany plan of union, which was the the proposed creation of an annual congress of delegates from each of the 13 colonies. -The Stamp Act Congress: British Parliament had passed the Stamp Act of 1765. This law required the use of tax stamps on all legal documents, on certain business agreements, and on newspapers

Identify the three concepts of government that influenced the American Colonies.

-Ordered Government: based on those the colonists had known in England -Limited Government: the idea that government is restricted in what it may do, and every individual has certain rights that government cannot take away -Representative Government: the idea that government should serve the will of the people (also developed in England)

Summarize the main ideas in the Declaration of Independence

-To declare the independence of the United States from England -Founded on the notion that the people should rule instead of being ruled -Every person is important as an individual and endowed with "certain unalienable rights" -Founded on the concept of "the consent of the governed," not divine right or tradition

Compare and contrast the Virginia Plan and the New Jersey Plan.

-Virginia Plan: no state had more to do with the calling of the convention than Virginia. Delegates offered the first plan for a new constitution. -New Jersey Plan: William Patterson and his colleagues offered several amendments to the Articles, but not nearly so thorough a revision as that proposed by the Virginia Plan. The New Jersey Plan retained the unicameral Congress of the Confederation, with each of the states equally represented.

Describe how a growing need for a stronger national government led to plans for a Constitutional Convention.

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Identify the Framers of the Constitution and discuss how they organized the Philadelphia Convention.

Men of wide knowledge and public experience. Many of the men had fought in the revolution; 46 had been members of the Continental Congress of the Congress of the Confederation, or both. Eight had served in constitutional conventions in their own States, and seven had been State governors. Eight had signed the Declaration of Independence. Two were to become Presidents of the USA, and one a VP. George Washington was elected president of the convention. All delegates received one vote and there needed to be a majority for decisions to pass. Original purpose was to create a stronger central government by modifying the articles of confederation (ended up being scrapped), the new document became the Constitution. Two major factions (kind of like republicans and democrats), one wanted a stronger central government (federalists) one wanted a weaker central government (anti-federalists).

Explain why the weaknesses of the Articles led to a critical period for the country in the 1780s.

The articles took away a lot of the power from congress. Congress didn't have the power to tax, to regulate trade, or to make the States obery the Articles of Confederation. The lack of power led to the States bickering among themselves, debts went unpaid, and violence broke out.

Explain the significance of the three landmark English documents.

These basic notions of ordered government, limited government, and representative government can be traced to several landmark documents in English history. Our nation has built upon, changed, and added to those ideas and institutions that settlers brought here from England. America adopted many of its ideals from these original doctrines. -The Magna Carta add in specifics -The Petition of Right add in specifics -The English Bill of Rights add in specifics

Describe the delegates' reactions to the Constitution

• Federalist's o The Articles of Confederation are too weak o Only a stronger national government can overcome the difficulties the Republic faces o Liberties that could be included in a bill of rights are covered in the State constitutions. • Anti-Federalist's o The states would no longer have the power to print money. o The national government would be given too much power. o There should be a bill of rights.