2.A. COLONIAL PERIOD AND INDEPENDENCE Flashcards
What is one reason colonists came to America?
▪ Freedom
▪ Religious freedom
▪ Economic opportunity
▪ Escape persecution
▪ Political liberty
▪ Practice their religion
Tip: FREE-PP
Who lived in America before the Europeans arrived?
▪ American Indians
▪ Native Americans
What group of people was taken to America and sold as slaves?
▪ Africans
▪ People from Africa
Why did the colonists fight the British?
Because
▪ of High Taxes (taxation without representation)
▪ the British Army Stayed in their Houses (boarding, quartering)
▪ they Didn’t Have Self-government
HT-BASH-DHS
Who wrote the Declaration of Independence?
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence as a statement of freedom from unfair treatment from Great Britain. The Declaration of Independence highlights the importance of self- government in the United States. It also inspired many countries around the world to declare their own freedom.
When was the Declaration of Independence adopted?
July 4, 1776
The Declaration of Independence was adopted on July 4, 1776, which anounced our independence from Great Britain. This is why we celebrate Independence Day on the 4th of July.
There were 13 original states. Name three (3).
▪ Connecticut
▪ Delaware
▪ Georgia
▪ Maryland
▪ Massachusetts
▪ New Hampshire
▪ New Jersey
▪ New York
▪ North Carolina
▪ Pennsylvania
▪ Rhode Island
▪ South Carolina
▪ Virginia
Tip, alphabetical order: CDG-MM-NNNN-PRSV
What happened at the Constitutional Convention?
▪ The Constitution was written.
▪ The Founding Fathers wrote the Constitution.
The Constitution was written during the period when the country was created. Another word for created is “founded.” The period when the country was created is called the Founding Era. In 1787, famous leaders from around the country like George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, James Madison, and Alexander Hamilton came to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, for a Constitutional Convention. The leaders who met at the Constitutional Convention are sometimes called the Founders. The Founders wrote the Constitution at the Constitutional Convention.
When was the Constitution written?
1787
The U.S. Constitution was written in 1787. It was written 11 years after the Declaration of Independence was adopted in 1776 (July 4). It is the oldest written constitution in the world. The Constitution sets up the government and protects the basic rights of people living in the United States.
The Federalist Papers supported the passage of the U.S. Constitution. Name one of the writers.
▪ (James) Madison
▪ (Alexander) Hamilton
▪ (John) Jay
▪ Publius
Tip: MHJP
After the Constitutional Convention, the people of the United States had to approve the Constitution. Many people in the country did not like the Constitution in 1787 because it did not include a list of rights. Some of the Founders who were at the Constitutional Convention began to write essays called the Federalist Papers. **The Federalist Papers supported the passage of the U.S. Constitution. The writers of the Federalist Papers were James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and John Jay . The Federalist Papers included 85 essays about the Constitution, and they were printed in newspapers between October 1787 – May 1788. All of the writers of the Federalist Papers signed the essays with the name “Publius”**. The people who supported the Constitution agreed to add amendments to the Constitution that included a list of rights.
What is one thing Benjamin Franklin is famous for?
▪ U.S. Diplomat
▪ Oldest member of the Constitutional Convention
▪ First Postmaster General of the United States
▪ Writer of “Poor Richard’s Almanac”
▪ Started the first free libraries
Tip: DOPPL
Who is the “Father of Our Country”?
(George) Washington
Who was the first President?
(George) Washington
When the states voted to pass the Constitution, the U.S. created a new government. When the new government was created, George Washington was elected the first President.
