EOC prep Founding of the United States / US History and the Constitution

The founding fathers believed that all people are born with "natural rights". Which line from the Declaration of Independence BEST represents the idea of "natural rights"? (Natural Rights means that all people -- regardless of their wealth or power -- have certain rights that are given to them at birth and cannot be taken away)

"...all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights."

What is the main objection Hamilton is addressing in this essay? "There remains but one other view of this matter to conclude the point. The truth is, after all the declamation we have heard, that the constitution is itself in every rational sense, and to every useful purpose, A BILL OF RIGHTS. The several bills of rights, in Great-Britain, form its constitution, and conversely the constitution of each state is its bill of rights. And the proposed constitution, if adopted, will be the bill of rights of the union. Is it one object of a bill of rights to declare and specify the political privileges of the citizens in the structure and administration of the government? This is done in the most ample and precise manner in the plan of the convention, comprehending various precautions for the public security, which are not to be found in any of the state constitutions. Is another object of a bill of rights to define certain immunities and modes of proceeding, which are relative to personal and private concerns? This we have seen has also been attended to, in a variety of cases, in the same plan." -Alexander Hamilton, excerpt of Federalist, No. 84, 1788

A Bill of Rights was not necessary in the proposed constitution (A Bill of Rights was not necessary in the proposed constitution because the constitution itself, along with the constitutions of each state, was enough to protect the rights of the citizens. Nothing else was needed.)

Thomas Jefferson is referring to what part of the US government? "A _________ is what the people are entitled to against every government on earth, general or particular, and what no government should refuse, or rest on inference."

Bill of Rights

Which term BEST describes the system of government FIRST used in the United States of America?

Confederal

Which sentence describes the power to tax given to the U.S. Congress by the Articles of Confederation?

Congress could not tax (A major weakness of the Articles of Confederation was that Congress could not tax. Congress could only request that taxes be submitted. This is a big weakness because tax money IS needed to do things like fund a military and provide much-needed services for the country.)

Which statement BEST summarizes the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Gibbons v Ogden?

Congress has the sole authority to regulate interstate commerce.

Which nation provided the foundation for the concept of limited government that is embodied in the U.S. Constitution?

England

Which statement best summarizes the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in McCulloch v Maryland?

Establishing a national bank is an implied power of the federal government.

Which of these played a role in the decision of the Second Continental Congress to declare independence from Great Britain?

George III's rejection of the Olive Branch Petition (The Olive Branch Petition was Congress' attempt at peace and when George III rejected it, the reconsidered their offer for peace)

What event led to the creation of the English Bill of Rights?

Glorious Revolution of 1688

During George Washington's presidency, what was the major reason for conflict between Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton?

Hamilton's objection to Jefferson's strict interpretation of the Constitution (Hamilton favored broad, sweeping powers for the Federal government, while Jefferson considered himself a "strict" interpreter of the Constitution.)

Why was the Declaration of Independence a key factor in the American colonists' ability to receive wartime aid from other countries?

It showed that the colonists no longer recognized the English king. (Since most European nations did not want to get involved in a war between England and its own subjects, it was not until after the Americans declared themselves independent that they openly received foreign aid.)

This phrase from The Declaration of Independence and its primary author Thomas Jefferson can be used to justify which statement? "The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated and injuries and usurpation's, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world." (The Declaration of Independence was not just a "break-up letter" with Great Britain, it was a statement to the entire world of the colonists intent.)

Jefferson knew that the colonists' actions would have an international impact.

Fundamentally, the dispute between Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton during the Washington administration came down to the fact that:

Jefferson thought a strong central government would infringe on the rights of the people, while Hamilton believed that the central government needed to be strong to protect the rights of all. (This dispute was, essentially, a foundation of the differences between the first two political parties in the United States.)

All of these landmark cases were heard under the leadership of WHICH Supreme Court Chief Justice? · Marbury v. Madison · McCulloch v. Maryland · Gibbons v. Ogden

John Marshall (John Marshall may not have been the first Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court- that distinction goes to John Jay- but he was likely the most important. He led the court in many important decisions, but none more relevant that Marbury v. Madison (1803) that established the principle of Judicial Review.)

To whom does "He" refer in this passage? "He has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary powers. He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the tenure of their offices... He has erected a multitude of New Offices... He has kept among us, in times of peace... He has affected to render the Military independent of..."

King George III (He was being held responsible for the great abuses of power about which the American colonists are protesting.)

In which case did the Supreme Court FIRST exercise its right of judicial review?

Marbury v. Madison (In this case, the Supreme Court claimed its right to declare legislative and executive acts unconstitutional and established its self as the final authority on what the Constitution means. In Marbury v. Madison, the Supreme Court declared that the Judiciary Act of 1789 was unconstitutional.)

Which of these was considered a "Mid-Atlantic"/"Middle" colony in North America?

New York

Each phrase from this section of the Declaration of Independence begins with the word 'for', which is referring to the actions of: "For Quartering large bodies of armed troops among us: For protecting them, by a mock Trial, from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the inhabitants of these States: For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world: For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent: For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury..."

Parliament

What group or groups of people would support the views of Thomas Paine? "And as this frequent interchange will establish a common interest with every part of the community, they will mutually and naturally support each other, and on this... depends the strength of the government, and the happiness of the governed..."

Patriots

Which early president passed the unpopular Alien & Sedition acts, which restricted people speaking out against the government and allowed him to deport foreigners?

President John Adams

It can be said that, since Americans elect people to make the laws of the country, the United States is actually a:

Republic (The US is a representative democracy, which is another name for republic. This is not technically a democracy, which would require all people to vote on all bills before they could become laws. Instead, we elect members of Congress, town councils, school boards, and the like to do that for us.)

The assistance of the French was given to the American Continental Army after the battle of:

Saratoga (The French had been waiting to see if the Americans could offer a significant fight against the British, a long-time French enemy. The Battle of Saratoga showed the Americans' position and caused the French to contribute militarily. Their aid was of tremendous value to the Revolution and likely helped win it for the Americans.)

To which principle of government is Montesquieu's statement MOST directly related? "French political thinker Baron de Montesquieu (1689-1755) was one of the Enlightenment's most important thinkers. He is famous for saying that "when the law-making and law-enforcement powers are united in the same person... there can be no liberty."

Separation of Powers (Each branch of government -- Legislative, Executive, and Judicial -- has specific powers the other branches do not have. This keeps one branch from becoming too powerful.)

After the end of the American Revolution, many small landholders, including soldiers who fought for American independence, found themselves unable to pay massive debt. European investors in the Revolution demanded payment in gold and silver, and wealthy businessmen tried to pry repayment from rural farmers. How did the farmers respond?

Shays' Rebellion (Shays' Rebellion was led by Daniel Shays, a farmer who found himself unable to pay off large debt. He was one of many farmers and farmworkers who suffered because of debt passed on from wealthy, urban businessmen, who were in turn trying to repay European war investors.)

After being established by John Marshall, the principle of Judicial Review permanently increased the power of the:

Supreme Court.

This line of the Declaration of Independence refers to the Quartering Act of 1774, which was enacted by Parliament in response to:

The Boston Tea Party (After colonists in Boston destroyed a huge amount of British tea, Parliament wanted to make sure no further shenanigans were being planned by the colonists. They passed a new version of the Quartering Act, which required colonists to give housing and food to British soldiers if asked to do so. This Quartering Act was one of a series of laws the colonists referred to as "The Intolerable Acts".

Based on the diplomatic philosophy of Washington, the United States did NOT become involved in what conflict? "A passionate attachment of one Nation for another produces a variety of evils. Sympathy for the favorite Nation, facilitating the illusion of an imaginary common interest, in cases where no real common interest exists, and infusing into one the enmities of the other, betrays the former into a participation in the quarrels and wars of the latter.... It leads also to concessions to the favorite Nation of privileges denied to others, which is apt doubly to injure the Nation making the concessions; by unnecessarily parting with what ought to have been retained; and by exciting jealousy, ill-will, and a disposition to retaliate, in the parties from whom equal privileges are withheld." George Washington's Farewell Address, 1796

The French Revolution (The United States did not get involved in The French Revolution, in part because of Washington's diplomatic philosophy. Washington urged future politicians to practice this restraint and to not involve the U.S. into entangling foreign alliances.)

Which federal document limits the power of the government while guaranteeing freedoms to the American people?

The US Constitution (The US Constitution, because of the Bill of Rights, allows American citizens freedoms while promising the government will operate following boundaries and rules. This is an example of limited government.)

Which statement BEST describes the power of government provided by the Articles of Confederation?

The states had more power than the national government. (In an attempt to be unlike the British government, the Second Continental Congress created a government in which there was no one person 'in charge' (no King or President). This fear of a national government caused them to create a nation in which the states had more power than the national government. It was doomed to fail.)

What was the purpose of the English Bill of Rights?

To limit the power of the British monarch

The cities of New York, Baltimore, and Philadelphia began to become wealthy in the late-1600s because of what economic activity?

Trading

From the following list, identify the Englishman who first scandalized his prominent English family by becoming a Quaker, but who later convinced the King, an old friend, to grant him land in the "New World" that would later be named for himself.

William Penn

Which Supreme Court decision denied the right of states to take tribal lands but was ignored by President Andrew Jackson?

Worcester v. Georgia

Which of these was a major philosophy expressed in the Declaration of Independence? (It was a "break-up letter" with the colonists telling the King why they did not want to live under his rule anymore. No mention was made of their plans for a new government or economic system.)

a belief in the natural rights of citizens

In English history, the Magna Carta (1215) and the English Bill of Rights (1689) both reinforced the concept of:

a limited monarchy.

For a time, the President was given the power to veto specific parts of a bill without vetoing the entire bill. This was known as:

a line-item veto (The line-item veto was meant to save the bulk of a bill but give the President to strike down specific riders that had been tacked on to a bill. In 1996, Congress gave the President this power in the Line Item Veto Act, but the Supreme Court soon ruled the power to be unconstitutional.)

Which of these BEST describes the economic activities of the English colonies during the 17th- and early-18th centuries?

agricultural in both north and south.

Which of these would have MOST favored the financial plans of Alexander Hamilton?

banks in northern states (As Secretary of the Treasury under Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton called for greater government control over the national debt. He called for the Federal government to assume the debts of all states. This would not only increase the power of the national government, but it would aid banks in northern states, who held the notes on many of those loans. They would be guaranteed of not only getting their money back, but of making a hefty profit. Most of Hamilton's plan was eventually passed)

In United States history, the period known as "salutary neglect" is BEST described as having taken place:

before the French and Indian War.

Which of these is one way President Washington helped to calm citizens' anxiety in his Farewell Address?

by listing steps for America to remain a strong country

The chart shows an example of: PRESIDENTS BILLS VETOED BILLS NOT V Gerald Ford 66 12 Jimmy Carter 31 2 Ronald Reagan 78 9 George H. Bush 44 1

checks and balances in government (The process to establish laws forces both the House of Representatives and the Senate to agree before a bill gets passed on to the president. The president then has an opportunity to sign this bill into law or veto the bill.)

Which statement BEST describes the reason why the American colonies developed a separate culture from Great Britain during the era of colonization?

colonists and Britain were geographically separated by a great distance

Based on this quotation about the American Revolution, Adams was probably: "What do we mean by the Revolution? The war? That was not part of the revolution; it was only an effect and consequence of it. The revolution was in the minds of the people, and this was effected from 1760-1775, in the course of fifteen years, before a drop of blood was shed at Lexington."

connecting the revolution to people's individual right and freedoms

Shays' Rebellion was significant because it:

demonstrated the weaknesses of the government under the Articles of Confederation.

The Marshall Court helped to strengthen the role of the federal government. Which idea was central to McCulloch v Maryland?

denied the right of the state to limit the rights of the federal government

A major failing of the United States Government under the Articles of Confederation was its:

inability to regulate commerce among the states (The Articles left unclear the role of the federal government in trade between the sovereign states, which could have led to tariffs, trade wars, etc between the states. It did, however, regulate the expansion of the country (into the Great Lakes region) and allow the government to establish embassies in foreign countries)

According to the chart below, the power to tax is a concurrent (happens at the same time) power, meaning: NATIONAL GVMT STATE GVMT Borrow money Borrow money Collect taxes Collect taxes Provide defense Establish schools Postal Service License Professionals Regulate National trade Regulate In-State trade

it is a government power that is shared

Although the Three-Fifths Compromise helped Northern and Southern states reach an agreement that allowed for ratification of the Constitution, in the long run it had a negative effect on the nation because:

it was only a temporary solution to the argument between "free" and "slave" states.

John Marshall was instrumental in establishing the principle that the Supreme Court has the authority to declare laws and actions unconstitutional. This authority is called:

judicial review.

The case of Marbury v. Madison established the right of the Supreme Court's right to declare laws unconstitutional, which is also known as:

judicial review.

During the colonial era, the American south developed very few urban areas, which resulted in a:

low instance of banking, finance, and law-related professions (Such occupations tend to be found in large cities, as in the northern colonies. There was much wealth in the region, though, and, while slavery existed, the lack of urban areas was not the dominant cause of that. Also, the lack of urban centers did not cause or "result in" slavery.)

Later in the Federalist, No. 84, Hamilton says, "Here, in strictness, the people surrender nothing, and as they retain everything, they have no need of particular reservations." Hamilton believed that the new constitution would:

protect all rights for the citizens and made a Bill of Rights useless

Which of these was a reason the American colonies were fighting a war for independence in 1776?

restrictions on colonial trade (The British government placed severe restrictions on colonial trade in an effort to regain money spent defending the colonies during the French and Indian War.)

Congress called for a convention to be held in Philadelphia in 1787 in order to:

revise the Articles of Confederation. (The original purpose of the convention on Philadelphia in 1787 was to revise the Articles of Confederation. Because of this, they kept all proceedings private: if their actions had been known they could have been tried for overthrowing the government (which they were doing, albeit kindly and peacefully).)

New taxes passed such as the Stamp Act and the Townshend Act marked an end of the period known as:

salutary neglect.

The British policy of enforcing the writs of assistance caused much anger amongst American colonists. Which of these is the BEST description of the term writs of assistance?

search warrant (The Writs of Assistance were kind of like "generic search warrants. They allowed British officers to arbitrarily or random search colonial homes for evidence, and without documentation.)

Following Parliament's passage of the Stamp Act, South Carolina reacted by:

sending delegates to New York to discuss further action.

Which of these was one of the few successes of the United States Government under the Articles of Confederation?

settling conflicts associated with the settlement of western lands

Which of these would have been MOST likely to be a significant part of the Middle colonies' economy in 17th century North America?

shipbuilding

The political theory that people form governments for their mutual protection and that government rules only with the consent of those people is known as:

social contract theory.

What is the best definition of the word unalienable in the passage? "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."

something that cannot be taken away

The Virginia Plan would have granted more power to:

states with large population

Limited government is the concept that a government's power over its citizens should have limitations. Which of these is MOST closely associated with the idea of limited government?

the Bill of Rights (The Bill of Rights guarantees a number of personal freedoms and protects the people from being abused by the government.)

Both Johns Locke and Thomas Jefferson wrote about the natural rights of man. In what document are these "unalienable rights" specifically mentioned?

the Declaration of Independence ("We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.")

The ideas of Locke and Rousseau are found MOST easily in which of these documents?

the Declaration of Independence (Their ideas of popular sovereignty and separation of powers in government let first to the creation of the Declaration of Independence, then to drafting the US Constitution the following decade.)

The title "Commander in Chief" belongs to:

the President

Which Federalist Era domestic crisis represented the first major test of the national government's ability to enforce its laws within the states?

the Whiskey Rebellion

Loyalty to WHICH governing model was displaced by ideas advanced in the Declaration of Independence and the U.S Constitution?

the monarchy, or rule of divine right of a king

According to this passage from the Declaration of Independence, who gives government the power to exist? "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness..."

the people

In the Supreme Court decision Marbury v. Madison,:

the power of "judicial review" was established.

Which of these is an example of a "check and balance" power of Congress?

the power to impeach public officials (This is a power of Congress and can be used to check the power of the other two branches. Specifically, it is power that originates in the House of Representatives and is later carried out by the Senate.)

The colonial trend of having local governments that were increasingly independent from British control was most likely caused by:

the practical necessity of having to care for their daily needs. (The idea of independence was one that many people in the colonies thought foolish. Additionally, most people would not have been reading Enlightenment thought at the time due to very low literacy rates.)

The concept that the people of a nation have a right to overthrow a government that acts against their common interests is known as:

the right of revolution (The right of revolution was a main theme of both the Declaration of Independence and Common Sense.)

The primary goal of the people who began the American Revolution was:

to achieve the rights they felt the British had been denying them (The thought of democracy was not the primary motivation for those who began the Revolution. They yearned to regain the rights they felt the British had been denying them, and they hoped to start a new government based mainly on the British style of government, but with a few obvious changes.)

The message of this political cartoon is to:

urge the repeal of the Stamp Act.

Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson disagreed over the proposed "National Bank" based on which issue?

whether or not the Constitution gives the national government the power to establish the bank

The mid-Atlantic colony of Pennsylvania was founded by William Penn PRIMARILY because of his:

wish to found a logical, well-planned, religiously tolerant colony.