Chapter 2 Flashcards
3 basic concepts of government:
- Ordered Government
- Limited Government
- Representative Government
Representative gov
- Government should serve the will of the people
- People should have a voice in what the government does
Limited Gov
- Government is restricted to what it can do
- People have rights that the government can’t take away
3 important British documents that led to American freedom:
- Magna Carta
- Petition of Right
- English Bill of Rights
What was the Magna Carta?
Established the principles that the monarchy was not absolute and established the rule of law
Who signed the Magna Carta
Signed by King John
Rule of Law
“The law in charge” - there is a set of limits on government power!!
What is the cornerstone of the US Constitution?
the Magna Carta
Petition of Right
it limited the kings power in specific ways (no punishment w/out trial, no martial law in time of peace, limited taxation etc.)
Who signed the Petition of Right
King Charles I
The English Bill of Rights
est. the idea that people had certain natural rights that couldn’t be taken away by the government (free speech, religion, fair trial, etc)
Who signed the English bill of rights
signed by William and Mary
The two bedrock principles we as Americans live by today are:
- No one is above the law
- We all have rights that the government must protect
3 types of Colonial government (describe)
Royal (direct control of the crown)
Proprietary (direct control of the proprietor/owner)
Charter (direct control of the people)
Early attempts to unite the colonies (5)
- Albany Plan of Union - 1754
- Stamp Act Congress - 1765
- First Continental Congress - 1744
- Second Continental Congress - 1775
- Declaration of Independence 1776
What was the Albany Plan of Union?
Attempt to address colonial trade and unite during the French and Indian War
What was the Stamp Act Congress?
United and Fought to repeal the stamp tax
What was the First Continental Congress?
United and Demanded a repeal of the Intolerable Acts
What was the Second Continental Congress?
- First time all colonies united
- 1st temporary national government during the war for independence
What was the Declaration of independence?
United to form our new nation
Common features of the first state constitutions: (4)
- Popular Sovereignty - people were the supreme source of power
- Limited Government - states not all powerful
- Civil Rights and liberties: people had certain rights that the states must recognize and protect
- Separation of powers and checks and balances: states powers were divided among the three branches and each branch could check/restrain each other
When was The Critical Period
1783-1788
What was the articles of confederation and what was it designed to do?
First constitution of the USA, Designed to have a weak central government and strong state governments
Who wrote the first draft of the Articles of Confederation?
Benjamin Franklin
Who wrote the final draft of the Articles of Confederation?
John Dickinson
Why did they fear a strong central government?
They wanted each state to keep its own sovereignty, freedom, and independence
What was the only branch of gov they had under the Articles of Confederation?
Legislative (congress)
What is a Confederate form of government like?
most power in the local (states) - very little to Central Government - almost like 13 individual countries
Major weaknesses of a Confederate government? (6)
The government (had):
1. No power to tax
2. No power to coin money
3. No power to regulate trade
4. No power to enforce its own laws
5. No power to create an army
6. could make Amendments (changes to the Articles) only with the consent of all 13 states
Shay’s Rebellion
Revolt against land/home foreclosures! /some arrested/ anger led to violence.
Why were the Articles of Confederation a failure?
Central Government had too little power
What was the Annapolis Convention ?
A call for action to solve the problems with the articles of confederation - only 5 states showed up
Who called for another meeting in Philadelphia after the Annapolis Convention?
James Madison and Alexander Hamilton
At the meeting in Philadelphia who came up with a plan and what was it?
James Madison comes with a plan to create a new constitution
Framers
group of 55 delegates sent to Philadelphia
Who were the key people not included among the Framers? (3)
- Patrick Henry
- John Adams
- Thomas Jefferson
Why was patrick henry not among the framers in Philadelphia?
he said “I smelt a rat” (feared that the states were going to lose power)
Why were John Adams and Thomas Jefferson not among the framers in Philadelphia?
they were in europe as diplomats
Original purpose of Philadelphia convention:
To revise the articles of confederation
What were the 2 major plans presented at the Philadelphia Convention to write the Constitution?
Virginia Plan
New Jersey Plan
Due Process
gov cant keep a person from their freedom or property without going through the court system
glorious revolution
the events surrounding William and Mary the Orange’s ascent to the throne
bicameral
two-house legislature
charter
a written grant of authority from the king`
quorum
majority
Father of our constitution
James Madison
Virginia Plan Features:
- 3 brances
- Bicameral legislature
- Representation baesd on population or the amount of money you gave the government
- National Executive (1 president)
- National and state judiciary (several courts)
- Greatly increased powers for the central government
Who came up with Virginia Plan
James Madison
Who came up with the New Jersey Plan?
William Patterson
Features of the New Jersey Plan:
- 3 branches
- Unicameral -
- representation equal
- national executive (3 people)
- National Judiciary (one single court)
- Very limited powers to the central government/shared with the states - federal
Key issue of New jersey plan:
representation in Legislative Branch
How did they decide on which plan for the constitution (virginia or new jersey)?
The Great Compromise
Who proposed the great compromise?
Roger Sherman
What were the features of the Great Compromise?
- Bicameral Legislature
- Executive - 1 president
- National/State judiciaries (supreme court AND state courts)
- Gave co-equal powers to Central and local governments (federal)
- Greatly increased the powers of the central government
In the great compromise, how did the bicameral legislature compromise for both plans?
Bicameral Legislature with representation based on population in the lower house and equal representation in the upper house
Other compromises (2):
- The three fifths compromise
- The commerce and Slave Trade compromise
What was the question that caused the need for the three-fifths compromise?
Should slaves be counted as population?
Provisions of the three-fifths compromise
- Slaves would be counted as three fifths of a person
- South must pay three fifths of a head tax
What two issues prompted the commerce and slave trade compromise?
- The south feared that Congress would tax exports to help fund the government
- feared they would stop the slave trade
What were the provisions of the commerce and slave trade compromise?
- Congress was forbidden from taxing exports
- Congress could not stop the slave trade for 20 years
Sources of the Constitution: (4)
Greece
Rome
Great Britain
Judeo-Christian
Ratify
official approval of the states
2 opposing sides of the ratification process?
Federalists
Anti-federalists
What was the federalist stance and their main argument?
- in favor of the new constitution
- main argument was that the central government was too weak
Who led the federalists?
James Madison and Alexander Hamilton
What was the anti federalist stance?
Opposed the new constitution
who led the anti federalists
Patrick Henry
Anti federalists 2 main arguments?
It gave too much power to the federal government, No Bill of Rights (written rights of the people)
Who later added the Bill of Rights to the Constitution?
James Madison
First state to ratify the constitution?
Delaware
9 states ratified (enough to pass it) but what was the problem?
Virginia and New York (the two largest states) didn’t ratify
Why didn’t virginia ratify
Thomas Jefferson (key vote) wouldn’t ratify because there was no Bill of Rights
What swayed the vote of New York and got them to ratify?
The Federalist New York Papers
What was the Federalist New York Papers?
Was a series of 85 articles written - to promoted the new constitution
Last two states ratify:
- NC in 1789
- Rhode Island in 1790
Where did Congress meet for the first time?
In NYC in Federal Hall
Where was the first US capital?
NYC
Quorum
Majority
sworn in as first president
George Washington
first vice president
John Adams
George Washington was the only president to what? (3)
be elected unanimously, run unopposed, not belong to a political party
