American Republic

In 1778 how did France respond to the news of the American victory at Saratoga?

France joined the Franco-American Alliance with Americans against the British

Who is Baron de Montesqiueu?

French lawyer and philosophe who contributed to the U.S. Constitution

In the series of paragraphs beginning, "He has refused his Assent," to whom does the word "He" refer to in the Declaration?

King George III

Name three unalienable rights expressed in the Declaration.

Life, Liberty, and Pursuit of Happiness

What is the longest part of the Declaration of Independence?

List of grievances

What major contribution did the Enlightenment political philosopher Baron de Montesquieu make to the concept of republican government?

Montesquieu contributed ideas to the U.S. Constitution, like liberty, life, and happiness. He is also associated with the ideas of the separation of powers.

What is the first part of the Declaration of Independence?

Preamble

What is the Albany Paine's Common Sense?

Published in January 1776 in Philadelphia, he argued for the independence from England and the creation of a democratic republic

What was one battle that took place outside the Thirteen Colonies during the American Revolutionary War?

Quebec/Montreal

How did tradition of individual rights serve as a foundation for the American republic?

The American Bill of Rights states an american's freedoms and rights in the country.

What did the Americans gain from beating the British at the Battle of Vicennes?

The Americans secured their control over the Ohio River Valley.

According to the Declaration, what powers does the United States have "as Free and Independent States"?

full power to levy war, conclude peace, contract alliances, establish commerce, and to do all other acts and things which independent states may of right do

Why is civic virtue important to the survival of any democratic republic?

only if its citizens actively participated in government and put the public good before their own needs and it had to represent the monarch, the aristocracy, and the people

What is a charter colony?

operated under charters approved by the king and the colony

What is civic virtue?

the idea that people should place the common good over private interests

What was the battle during the New England phase of the American Revolution that proved to be most costly for the British?

Battle of Bunker Hill

How did England's parliamentary or representative government serve as a foundation for the American republic?

It created representative government in the Thirteen colonies.

How did the idea of limited government serve as a foundation for the American republic?

It helped the Americans create the democratic government.

What two southern ports had fallen to the British by 1780?

Savannah, Georgia and Charleston, South Carolina

By October 1777, the British had lost the Battle of Saratoga in Upstate New York to the Americans due to a lack of military cooridation. Explain.

The British had a three-prong strategy to take total control of the Hudson River Valley and the Lake Champlain region of New York but General John Burgoyne arrived in New York without the other two forces and was forced to surrender.

How did the French naval fleet play a role in helping the Americans bring the British to a final defeat at the Battle of Yorktown in 1781?

The French naval fleet set up a blockade to prevent Lord Cornwallis from getting reinforcements

What is the key difference between a royal, proprietary, and charter colony?

The key difference is that they are all operated by different people.

Why did the British finally decide to evacuate from Boston in March 1776?

They were vulnerable to American patriot attack on land and in the harbor due to cannons placed at Dorchester Heights

Which truths in the second paragraph of the Declaration of Independence are "self-evident"?

all men are created equal

What is the Magna Carta?

a charter agreed to by King John of England that granted nobles certain rights and restricted the king's powers

What is the Petition of Right?

a document signed by Charles I of England that limited the powers of the English monarch

What is the English Bill of Rights?

a document signed by King William that stated that English monarchs would no longer be able to enable laws, raise taxes, or keep an army without Parliament's consent

What is a resolution?

a firm decision to do or not to do something

What is a declaration?

a formal or explicit statement or announcement

What is the Fundamental Orders of Connecticut?

a framework of laws agreed to by settlers of the Connecticut colonies that put limits on the power of government and gave all free men to choose judges

What is a preamble?

a preliminary or preparatory statement; an introduction

What is a republic?

a state in which supreme power is held by the people and their elected representatives, and which has an elected or nominated president rather than a monarch

What is the Declaration of Independence?

adopted by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776; 13 American colonies severed their political connections to Great Britain

Who was Thomas Jefferson?

an American lawyer, a Founding Father and principal author of the Declaration of Independence; second Vice President of the United States and the third President of the United States

What is separation of powers?

an act of vesting the legislative, executive, and judicial powers of government in separate bodies

What are grievances?

an official statement of a complaint over something believed to be wrong or unfair

What is a proprietary colony?

based on a grant of land by the English monarch to a proprietor, who represented the crown and could appoint all officials and make laws

From what source do governments derive their "just powers"?

consent of the governed

What does bicameral mean?

consisting of two houses

What is a royal colony?

directly ruled by the king through an appointed governer

What started the American Revolution?

the Battles of Lexington and Concord in April 1775

What right do people have when their government becomes destructive? How do they know it has become destructive?

to alter or abolish it, and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness