unit 2 study guide government
New England Confederation
1643-MA, Plymouth, New Haven, and Connecticut settlements formed the New England confederation; was a "league of friendship" for defense against Native American tribes; Danger passed and frictions among the settlements grew, the confederation lost importance and finally dissolved in 1684
English Bill of Rights
1689 Parliament offered the crown to William and Mary of Orange during the "Glorious Revolution"; Before they were given the throne, William and Mary had to agree to a list of provisions called the English Bill of Rights.
Albany Plan of Union
1754-British Board of Trade called a meeting of 7 of the northern colonies at Albany; purpose was to discuss the problems of colonial trade and the danger of attacks by the French and their native american allies.
The Declaration of Rights and Grievances
765- the 4 states that didn't go were NH, GA, VA, NC; proposed a strong protest-The Declaration of Rights and Grievances, and sent it to the king; marked the first time a significant number of the colonies had joined to oppose the British government
What did most members of the 1st C.C. hope would happen? What document did the 1st C.C. send to the king? What did the 1CC urge the colonies to boycott?
A compromise Declaration of Rights Refuse all trade with England until the hated taxes and trade regulations were repealed; also called for the creation of local committees to enforce the boycott
Roman Legacy in Great Britain
Ancient Romans occupied much of England from 43-420 AD; left behind a legacy of law, religion, and custom; from this influence, English colonists brought to North America three basic notions that were to loom large in the shaping of government in the US; Ordered, limited, and representative
Which King asked for more money from Parliament? How did the Petition of Right limit the king's power? Changed the idea of the ? rights of kings, declaring that even a monarch must obey the ? of the land
Charles I Limited the king's power in several ways; Demanded that the king no longer imprison or otherwise punish any person without the judgement of his peers or the law of the land; king may not impose martial law or military rule in times of peace; could not require that homeowners shelter the king's troops without their consent of Parliament; changed the idea of the divine right of kings, declaring that even a monarch must obey the law of the land. divine; law
What were their biggest objections to the Constitution?
Feared that the president would become a monarchy and congress would become too powerful; lack of one major feature of the constitution drew heavy fire, a bill of rights; believed the states had granted them individual rights in their state constitutions
Stamp Act Congress
In Oct. of 1765- 9 colonies sent delegates to a meeting in NY known as the Stamp Act Congress; the 4 states that didn't go were NH, GA, VA, NC; proposed a strong protest-The Declaration of Rights and Grievances, and sent it to the king; marked the first time a significant number of the colonies had joined to oppose the British government
Who signed the Magna Carta?
King John
What kind of a government did it create? Who supported the NJ Plan?
Know about each branch. Retained the unicameral congress of the articles; each state had equal representation in congress; plan gave congress the power to tax and regulate trade between the states; called for a federal executive of more than one person; executive would be chosen by congress and could be removed by congress at the request of a majority of state governors; the federal judiciary would be composed of a single supreme tribunal (appointed by the executive) Small states like NY, NJ, MD, DE
What are the branches of the government?
Legislative: make laws Executive: execute laws or carry out laws Judicial: judge laws
which two states first called for a meeting to change the articles
Maryland and Virginia
Why did the British start levying taxes on the colonies?
New taxes were levied to help pay the heavy costs incurred by the British during the French and Indian War; Since the war had been fought to protect the colonies, Parliament and King George reasoned that the colonists should have to pay to share those costs
3 basic concepts of government
Ordered: english colonists saw the need for an orderly regulation of their relationship with another, the need for government; created local governments, based on those they had in England; In an ordered government system, the government regulates affairs among the people and maintains order and predictability Positions Created by Ordered Government- offices of sheriff, justice of the peace, grand jury, counties Limited: colonists also brought with them the idea that government is restricted in what it may do. Called limited government and it was deeply rooted in English belief and practice by the time the first English ships set sail for America; colonists also believed firmly that everyone has certain rights called unalienable rights Unalienable Rights- rights that a government cannot take away
What was the relationship like between the colonies and Great Britain before the Revolutionary period?
Parliament paid little attention to the late colonies until the late colonial period; were controlled under the king, largely through the Privy council and the Board of Trade in London;
Second Continental Congress
Political authority that directed the struggle for independence beginning in 1775; the group authored the Olive Branch Petition and the Declaration of Independence, and served as America's first governing body for our first 5 years
What group of people was the Magna Carta originally intended for?
Privileged classes only
What was the goal of the Magna Carta
Protect citizens of England from John's ever growing number of military campaigns and extremely high taxes
13 Colonies
The original states : Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Maryland, Massachusetts, New jersey, New York, North Carolina, South Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Virginia.
What had already started before the 2CC started? Acted as the nation's first ______?_____ body for the first 5 years of the nation.
The revolution; governing
How did Parliament respond to the Declaration of Rights and Grievances -1765?
They repealed the Stamp Act, but continued to make new laws that would tie the colonies more closely with the British government
Which monarchs were offered the English Bill of Rights? What was this time period known as? What guarantees did the English Bill of Rights provide for English citizens?
William and Mary Glorious Revolution Prohibited a standing army in peacetime, except with the consent of Parliament; made all parliamentary elections free for all men to participate in; mandated that the kind couldn't enact laws without the consent of the parliament; gave the people the right to petition the king; included guarantees like the right to a fair trial, as well as freedom from excessive bail and from cruel and unusual punishments
Popular Sovereignty
a belief that ultimate governing power resides in the people, and that the government could only rule with the consent of the governed.
Olive Branch Petition
a document that was proposed by John Jay, and sent by the Second Continental Congress to King george III, proposing a reconciliation between the colonies and Britain, which the king refused
Iroquois League
a powerful northeast Native American confederacy. Known during the colonial years to the French as the Iroquois league and the the english the five nations. Comprised of the Mohawk, Onondaga, Oneida, Cayuga, and Seneca. A political confederation of five Native American groups in New York; worked together to end conflicts among the tribes
Shay's Rebellion
a series of attacks on courthouses by a small band of farmers led by Revolutionary war captain Daniel Shays to block foreclosure proceedings; Caused this: as economic conditioned worsened in MA, property holders began to lose their property or possessions for lack of payment on taxes and other debts.
Federalists
a term used to describe supporters of the Constitution during ratification debates in state legislatures
The magna carta established that the monarch's power was not ?
absolute
the connecticut compromise
agreement by the states at the CC for a bicameral legislature with a lower house in which representation would be based on population and an upper house in which each state would be represented equally by two senators
Three-Fifths Compromise
agreement that each slave counted as three-fifths of a person in determining representation in the House and taxation
English Common Law
an unwritten, judge-made law developed over centuries; influenced the founding of America
King George III
came to the throne in 1760, Britain was more firm with the colonies; New taxes were levied to help pay the heavy costs incurred by the British during the French and Indian War;
Federalist papers
collection of essays written by Hamilton, Jay, and Madison to support the ratification of the US constitution
Separation of Powers
constitutional division of government powers among the legislative, executive, and judicial branches
Checks and Balances
each branch was given power with which to check, or restrain the actions of the other branches of the government; a system that allows each branch of the government to limit the powers of the other branches in order to prevent abuse of power
What did the Articles do? created a ? Each state allowed to keep its ? Gave very little power to the ? government
established "a firm league of friendship" among the States, each state kept its sovereignty, freedom, independence, and powers and rights; gave little power to the fed. Government; sovereignty, federal
Ratification
formal approval, final consent to the effectiveness of a constitution, constitutional amendment, or treaty
Farmers
group of delegates who drafted the US constitution at the Philadelphia convention
Anti-federalists
group of people who opposed the constitution due to its lack of a bill of rights and vast powers of the federal government
Magna Carta
idea that government should serve the will of the people; insistence that the people should have a voice in deciding what government should and should not do; idea of "government of, by, and for the people" flourished in America
Representative
idea that government should serve the will of the people; insistence that the people should have a voice in deciding what government should and should not do; idea of "government of, by, and for the people" flourished in America
Civil Rights and Liberties
in every state it was made clear that the sovereign people held certain rights that government must at all times respect; seven of the new documents began with a bill of rights that government at all times respect
Stamp Act
law required the use of tax stamps on all legal documents, on certain business agreements, and on newspapers; colonists felt that the rates were too severe and colonists said that the act amounted to "taxation without representation"
Massachusetts Constitution
set a lasting example in the constitution making process; in order to create their constitution, a popularly elected convention submitted its work to the voters for approval or ratification; authored by James Adams; is the oldest of the present day state constitutions; is the oldest written constitution in force in the world today
The new jersey plan
small states plan put forth at the Philadelphia convention, proposing equal representation by state, regardless of population in a unicameral legislature
Rule of Law
that influenced English political ideas, has roots in the early civilizations of Africa and Asia; King Hammurabi of Babylonia developed a system of laws known as Hammurabi's Code around 1750 BC; Jewish legal concepts relating to individual worth, fair trial, and the rule of law were detailed in the Hebrew Bible
Declaration of Independence
the document recording the proclamation of the second continental congress (4 July 1776) asserting the independence of the colonies from Great Britain Thomas Jefferson wrote it
Limited Government
the idea that certain restrictions should be placed on government to protect the natural rights of citizens.
which amendment ended the three-fifths compromise?
thirteenth amendment
What were the consequences of the Articles of Confederation? How did the states act? What happened to the Economy?
Congress had to borrow money so they asked the states if they could borrow their funds; congress could not regulate trade between the states; Congress could not enforce laws; The states began bickering among themselves; became suspicious and jealous of each other; the states also refused to support the new central government, both financially and in almost every other way; several states made agreements with foreign governments without congressional approval; organized their own military; they taxed each other's goods and banned some trade; printed their own money; Chaos; prices soared and reliable credit vanished; debts both public and private went unpaid; violence broke out in several places across the country
What did it do to solve the dilemma over representation? Who was the author of the Connecticut Compromise? What is the Connecticut Compromise also known as?
Congress should be bicameral; lower house the HOR, representation would be based on population; in the upper house the senate, the states would be represented equally; Roger Sherman; the great compromise
Boston Tea Party
Dec. 16, 1773; Group of men, disguised as Native Americans, boarded 3 tea ships in Boston Harbor; broke open chests and dumped the ship's cargo into the sea to protest the British control of the tea trade
Created by who? What kind of a government did it create? Who supported the Virginia Plan?
Delegates for VA; James Madison wrote it Know about each branch. Legislative would be bicameral; representation in each house would be based on either population or how much money each state gave to the federal government; congress would have all of the same powers that it held under the articles Congress: would take control of individual state in extreme cases, could not veto state laws that were in conflict with national laws, could use force to make the states obey national laws; national executive and judiciary; these two would make up the council of revision, they could veto acts passed by congress but a veto could be overridden by the two houses, judiciary would consists of one or more supreme courts and lower courts Large states especially Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts
What kind of ideas had influenced the Framers? What was the average age of the delegates? Who is chosen to be the President of the Convention?
Enlightenment thinkers; 42, but most were in their 30s; George Washington
3 types of colonies
Royal Colonies- direct control of crown; 8 colonies- NY, NJ, NH, GA, NC, SC, VA, MA; king disapproved tobacco; VA one of the first royal colonies; charter of the colonies withdrawn; Bicameral (lower and upper house) unicameral (one house) Charter Colonies- charter gave colonies the right to have government rights and land; MA bay colony was the first charter in 1662; RI was 2nd; both self governing; governors were voted for by white male property owners; required a king approval but ignored; bicameral; government can't veto; colonial court rules to king if didn't like; liberal revolution would not have happened if not like MA and RI Proprietary Colonies- MA, PA, DE; proprietor- person to whom the king had made a grant of land; 1632- king granted Maryland to George Calvert, Lord Baltimore-haven for catholics; 1681-Penn. Granted to William Penn; 1682-Penn got DE; governor appointed by proprietor; MA and DE bicameral legislature; Penn unicameral; "Frame of Gov." constitution by William Penn in 1682 was democratic
First Continental Congress
Sep. 1774, delegates from 12 colonies sent representatives to PA to discuss a response to the intolerable acts and sent the Declaration of Rights and Grievances 1774 to King George III
What day was the Constitution signed
September 17, 1787
What did the colonists say these taxes amounted to?
Taxation without representation
Petition of right
magna carta was respected by some monarchs and ignored by others for 400 years; 1628-Charles I asked Parliament for more money in taxes, Parliament refused until he signed the Petition of Right; Limited the king's power in several ways; Demanded that the king no longer imprison or otherwise punish any person without the judgement of his peers or the law of the land; king may not impose martial law or military rule in times of peace; could not require that homeowners shelter the king's troops without their consent of Parliament; changed the idea of the divine right of kings, declaring that even a monarch must obey the law of the land.
English Constitutionalism
notion that government leaders are subject to limitations of the law; influenced the founding of America
Boston Massacre
on march 5 1770 British troops in Boston fired on a jeering crowd, killing 5
Significant because this was the first time a significant number of colonies had joined together to ____________?_______ the British government?
oppose
Committees of Correspondence
organized many different protests including..Boston Tea Party-Dec. 16, 1773
Articles of Confederation
plan of government adopted by the continental congress after the American Revolution; established "a firm league of friendship" among the States, but allowed few important powers to central government
The Virginia Plan
plan presented by delegates from VA at the Constitutional Convention; called for a three-branch government with a bicameral legislature in which each state's membership would be determined by its population or its financial support for central government
Due process
protections against the arbitrary taking of life, liberty, or property.
Commerce and Slave Trade Compromise
resolved differences between northern and southern states that said that congress could not tax exports nor ban the slave trade for 20 years
Philadelphia Convention Original Purpose
to revise the articles instead they dedicated themselves to creating an entirely new government for America-one based off a written constitution
What was the biggest export at the time? How many years could Congress not make laws interfering with the slave trade?
tobacco; 20 years
What kind of a governing body did the articles create? What powers did the congress lack
unicameral congress; no executive or judicial branch
