US History Unit 2

How did the US constitution differ from the Articles of Confederation?

-look at chart

What caused tension in Massachusetts?

-the tea act -boston massacre -martial law

what shaped the constitution

-weakness of articles of confederation -weaknesses of the british government system because they did not want a monarchy anymore -great compromise shaped it because that is what outlines the legislative branch -branches of government so that they can check eachother - each one checks the other two so that not one of them is too powerful

advice for creating own government

-you would want to prioritize individual rights by still having control over people and laws -giving people rights while still maintaing a civil society -knowing you can't make everyone happy -having a reasonable system in place because when the political climate changes, the government changes as well reflecting on what the people actually what -having a system of checks and balances to prevent a corrupt government

Common Sense

A pamphlet written by Thomas Paine that was crucial in changing public opinion to support independence

Adding a Bill of Rights to the Constitution was championed by which particular group?

Anti-federalists

Second Continental congress

Approved the Declaration of Independence and served as the only national government during the Revolutionary War. They adopted Articles of Confederation which outlined the new US government. they recognized the minutemen as the Continental Army and appointed George Washington as the Army's commander

Boston Tea Party

British East India company that suffered from colonial boycotts, so the tea act was implemented which allowed the company to sell tea without the tax. This cut colonial merchants out of tea trade. Colonists decided to strike back by disguising themselves as the Native Americans and then boarded a british tea ship and dumbed 18,000 lbs. of tea into the harbor.

Tea Act british action vs. colonist reaction

British action: Britain gives the East India Company special concessions in the colonial tea business and shuts out colonial tea merchants. Colonial reaction: Colonists in Boston rebel, dumping 18,000 lbs. of East India Company into Boston Harbor.

Stamp Act british action vs. colonial reaction

British action: Britain passes the stamp act Colonial reaction: Colonists harass stamp distributors, boycott British goods, and prepare a Declaration of Rights and Grievances.

Townshend Acts british action vs. colonial reaction

British action: Britain taxes certain colonial imports and stations troops at major colonial ports to protect customs officers. Colonial reaction: Colonists protest "taxation without representation" and organize a new boycott of imported goods.

Boston massacre british action vs. colonial reaction

British action: British troops stationed in Boston are taunted by an angry mob. The troops fire into the crowd, killing 5 colonists. Colonial reaction: Colonial agitators label the conflict a massacre and publish a dramatic engraving depicting the violence.

Lexington and Concord british action vs. colonist reaction

British action: General Gage orders troops to march to Concord, Massachusetts, and seize colonial weapons. Colonial reaction: Colonial Soldiers (minutemen) intercept the British and engage in battle- first at Lexington, and then at Concord.

Intolerable Acts british action vs. colonist reaction

British action: King George III tightens control over Massachusetts by closing Boston Harbor and quartering troops. Colonial reaction: Colonial leaders form the First Continental Congress and draw up a declaration of colonial rights. -fair reaction

Minutemen

Civilian soldiers that began to quietly stockpile firearms and gunpowder.

Articles of Confederation

Congress' proposed a set of laws which outlines two levels of government that share fundamental powers- state governments were supreme for some matters and national government were supreme for others (declare war, make peace, sign treaties, borrow money, set standard currency, establish a postal service, and deal with native americans)

Weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation

Congress/national government could not impose taxes congress could not regulate trade no executive branch to force laws states only had one vote each in the confederation congress no executive or judicial branch all states had to amend articles 9/13 states passed laws

Shay's Rebellion

Daniel Shay led the army of farmers to close the courts because he felt that he was a victim of too much taxation. State officials called militia and 4 Rebels were killed. This led to talks about a stronger national government.

Ratification of Constitution

Delaware led country in ratifying the constitution, then New Hampshire fulfilled the requirement by becoming the 9th state to say yes, but then eventually VA and NY voted yes.

3 Branches

Executive branch- the brach of government that administers and enforces the laws. (president) Judicial branch- the branch of government that interprets laws and the constitution. (supreme court) Legislative branch- the branch of government that makes laws. (congress)

Federalist vs. Antifederalist

Fed- liked the constitution, liked the balance of power between states and central government and wanted a strong central government -alexander hamilton, james madison, merchants, skilled workers -small states and weak economies -believed checks and balances would protect people from tyranny of central government -believed that limits on national government would prevent government from violating the people's rights - believed that it is implied and does not have to be written down Antifed-liked the articles/opposed the constitution - wanted stronger state governments - patrick henry, samuel adams, thomas jefferson -people in rural areas; large states - believed central government would abuse powers and cater to privileged upper class

Bill of Rights ratification

First 10 amendments of the constitution. They were designed to protect the basic rights of the United States citizens guaranteeing freedom of speech, assembly, exercise of religion, etc. Anti-federalists were in favor of this.

Lexington and Concord (battle - cause, results, people involved - April 1775)

First battle of the revolutionary war; Shot heard around the world; was a year before the declaration of independence; British action: General Gage orders troops to march to Concord, Massachusetts, and seize colonial weapons. Gage was concerned about reports concerning large amounts of colonial arms ammunitions hidden near Boston. Colonial reaction: Minutemen intercept the British and engage in battle- first at Lexington, and then at Concord.

townshend acts

Indirect taxes on imported goods (glass, lead, paint, and paper) as they came into the colonies from Britain. Different from the Stamp Act, which was a direct tax. Also imposed a 3 cent tax on tea.

Second Continental Congress

It Approved the Declaration of Independence and served as the only national government during the Revolutionary War. They adopted Articles of Confederation which outlined the new US government. they recognized the minutemen as the Continental Army and appointed George Washington as the Army's commander

Constitutional Convention

James madison and alexander hamilton called a meeting to discuss interstate trade issues. Delegates from every state except Rhode Island gathered at state house to revise Articles of Confederation but decided to form a new government.

Declaration of Independence was most influenced by

John Locke's philosophy

Two most prominent leaders of resistance to the british authority prior to the start of the war

John hancock and samuel adams

American Revolution

Led to the formation of the United States. British started passing on a series of new laws and taxes on colonists. Tensions grew and colonists were angered because they had no representation in parliament. After the fighting broke out, colonists decided to break free from England and approved the declaration of independence.

Was the stamp act effective?

No. The protests organized by the sons of Liberty caused many stamp agents to resign. The stamp act was to go into effect on November 1, 1765, but the protests prevented any stamps from being sold.

Describing the colonial army during the revolution

Not professionally trained soldiers, had few resources, benefited from not having uniforms that stood out bc they could camouflage, motivated bc they were fighting on their own turf, fighting for cause that they believed in, at a disadvantage with a weak navy.

Congress adopted the

Olive Branch Petition, asking Parliament not to break from the colonies until a compromise could be worked out

Olive Branch Petition

Petition that was sent to the king by the congress urging a return to "the former harmony" between Britain and the colonies. King George rejected the petition and later issued a proclamation stating that the colonies were in rebellion and urged Parliament to order a naval blockade of the American coast.

What event caused tension to erupt after 2 years of relatively low tension following the Boston Massacre?

RI colonists attacked a British customs ship that patrolled the coast for smugglers. The ship accidentally came close to Providence and the colonists boarded the vessel and burned it. King George wanted the suspects found and brought to England for trial. The assemblies of Massachusetts and Virginia set up committees of correspondence to communicate with other colonies about King George's threats.

How did the colonists protest the Townshend Act?

Reacted with rage and well-organized resistance. Well-educated colonists spoke about taxation without representation. Wanted to boycott British goods, wealthy women stopped buying British luxuries and made their own clothes, housewives boycotted British tea, smuggled goods. The result of the smuggling protests led the British to station 2,000 soldiers in Boston.

How did the colonists protest the stamp act?

Samuel Adams, Boston shopkeepers, artisans, and laborers organized a secret resistance group called the Sons of Liberty who harassed customs workers, stamp agents, and royal governors with mob threats and demonstrations. One of its founders was Samuel Adams. The individual colonial assemblies also confronted the Stamp Act. These individual assemblies made a strong collective protest.

Great Compromise

The constitutional convention's agreement to establish a two- house national legislature, with all states having representation based on its population in the other house (senate= equality) house of representation (population)

How did Parliament respond to the Boston Tea Party? (99)

The parliament responded with the intolerable acts.

What is the stamp act congress?

The strong collective of 9 colonial assemblies that formed in response to the Stamp Act. It issued a Declaration of Rights and Grievances, which stated that Parliament lacked the power to impose taxes on the colonies because the colonists were not represented in Parliament.

boston massacre

There was tension between colonists and poorly paid British soldiers who all wanted to work in Boston. On March 5, 1770, a fist fight broke out over jobs. Later that evening, a mob gathered in front of the Customs House and taunted the guards. Crispus Attucks and other laborers were killed. It became relatively calm for two years until the event at providence.

What did the merchants from New York, Boston, and Philadelphia agree about the stamp act?

They agreed not to important goods manufactured in Britain until the stamp act was repealed. They expected that british merchants would force Parliament to repeal the stamp act. This boycott worked and the parliament repealed the stamp act but on the same day issued the declaratory act.

Anti-Federalists were opposed to ratification of the Constitution because?

They thought a strong central government meant that would have too much power and that the states and people would have too little power. They thought that without the bill of rights, the constitution did not protect people- lack of protection for individual rights.

martial law

Thomas Gage wanted to keep peace so he places Boston under martial law, which is rule imposed by military forces.

First Continental Congress (how did it assemble, what did it support, defend, etc. pg 99)

Was formed to share complaints with King George and to Boycott British goods. They met in Philidelphia and made a declaration of colonial rights. Was a result of the intolerable acts.

Intolerable acts

Was king george's response to the boston tea party -boston port act -quartering act -quebec act -martial law

Declaration of Independence (106)

Written by Thomas Jefferson and drew on John Locke's natural laws. It announced that the 13 colonies were independent states. (Life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness)

ratification

approval of an official document (constitution) - in order for the constitution to take effect, it needed to be ratified by each state -9/13 states needed to ratify it and eventually they all did

declaratory act

asserted parliament's full right to make laws "to bind the colonies and people of America.. in all cases whatsoever."

What happened after the first Continental Congress?

colonists in many eastern New England towns stepped up military preparations. Minuteman (civilian soldiers) began to quietly stockpile firearms and gunpowder. British General Gage prepared to strike back

what was the punishment for colonists who disobeyed the stamp act?

colonists who disobeyed were tried in vice-admirality courts, where convictions were probable

stamp act

increased tensions between colonists and British government when Prime Minister George Greenville required colonists to purchase special stamped paper for every legal document, license, newspaper, pamphlet, and almanac, and imposed stamp duties on playing cards and dice. Affected every colonist and reached into all their pockets.

The Intolerable Acts were passed to

punish boston

issues debated at constitutional convention

represntation- the debate about whether there was equal representation or about proportionate representation. the compromise is senate= house proportionate slavery-three-fifths compromise state vs. national power-didnt want the national gov. to have too much power but they knew the states could not have too much power either authority of national and state government (who would get what powers) separation of powers,-nat. gov. really did not have any authority over the people but the bill of rights helped change this the main outline of the constitution is still what we go by, we still have the basic government structure, added amendments protect individual rights even more than the bill of rights

constitution called to

revise Articles

Three-fifths compromise

state's slaves would be counted as three-fifths of the population for purposes of representation and taxes.

Federalists papers

wrote a series of 85 essays in hope to persuade the ratification of the Constitution