Topic 2: Foundations of Government (SS.7.CG.1.2, SS.7.CG.1.3, SS.7.CG.1.4, SS.7.CG.1.5, SS.7.CG.1.6)

colonial grievances

A list of complaints against King George III & the British policies imposed by the Parliament.

natural law

laws passed by government to protect natural rights

causal relationship

one event is the result of the occurrence of the other event (cause & effect)

Declaratory Act

passed by Parliament on the same day the Stamp Act was repealed, stated that Parliament could make laws binding the American colonies "in all cases whatsoever."

protected rights

protections & liberties guaranteed to the people by the U.S. Constitution

quartering soldiers

providing shelter to soldiers

boycott

refusing to buy goods as a form of protest

laws

rules established & enforced by the government

principles

rules, beliefs, or ideas that guide you

instituted

something that was established

Preamble (Declaration of Independence)

(introduction); it explains why the colonies & Britain must separate

No Taxation without Representation

Being taxed without the consent of the people through their elected representative in Congress (or Parliament in England).

John Locke

British Enlightenment philosopher; influenced the Founders with ideas of social contract & natural rights (life, liberty, property)

Montesquieu

French Enlightenment philosopher; influenced the Founders with the ideas of separation of powers & system of checks & balances

Stamp Act

law which required the colonists to pay a tax on various forms of papers, documents, & playing cards

Founding Fathers / Founders

Political leaders who participated in the American Revolution by signing the Declaration of Independence

unalienable rights

Rights that can't be taken away (life, liberty, pursuit of happiness)

Acts of Parliament

Statutes (laws) passed by Parliament - Stamp Act, Sugar Act, Declaratory Act, Quartering Act, Tea Act, Townshend Acts, Coercive Acts (Inotlerable Acts)

Mayflower Compact (1620)

a document created by the pilgrims to set up a government & write down the first set of laws for the settlers who arrived in Plymouth, Massachusetts; it was the first example of a direct democracy in colonial America

Magna Carta (1215)

a document that was created in England that limited the king's power; it also introduced the concepts of limited government, rule of law, & due process

English Bill of Rights (1689)

a government document, written by the members of Parliament, that expanded the powers of the English Parliament & expanded the rights of the people, as well as further limit the rights of the king

Common Sense (1775)

a pamphlet published by Thomas Paine to convince the American colonists to support becoming independent from England

rule of law

a principle under which all persons, institutions, and entities are accountable to laws

Intolerable Acts (Coercive Acts)

a series of laws passed by the British Parliament to punish the colony of Massachusetts Bay for the Boston Tea Party

abolish

abolish to officially end or stop (something, such as a law)

natural rights

basic rights that cannot be taken away by governments (life, liberty, & property)

separation of powers

division of government responsibilities into distinct branches to limit any one branch from exercising the core functions of another

Founding documents

documents which established the government's structure & continue to secure the rights of American citizens (The Declaration of Independence, U.S. Constitution, & Bill of Rights)

derived

formed or developed from something else

limited government

government whose powers are limited by a Constitution

Quartering Act (1774)

law which allowed British troops to be housed in private homes & facilities; it was passed as part of the Coercive Acts in the wake of the Boston Tea Party.

Tea Act

law which granted the British East India Company Tea a monopoly on tea sales in the American colonies.; led to a protest known as the Boston Tea Party

Townshend Acts

law which initiated taxes on imported items to the colonies such as glass, lead, paint, paper, & tea

social contract

the people agree to create & live under a government & obey its laws; In return the people gain protection of the government

Declaration of Independence

the proclamation made by the second American Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, which asserted the freedom and independence of the 13 Colonies from Great Britain

religious liberty

the right of all Americans to exercise their religion freely, without being coerced to join an established church or to satisfy a religious test as a qualification for public office

endowed

to provide with something freely or naturally

consent of the governed

when the people agree to be ruled (consent = permission)