Exam 1 Flashcards
How was the U.S. settled?
English were the 3rd to get there but they were the best at establishing colonies so there power stayed (and genocide)
French owned middle, Spanish owned Florida, and Native Americans
What was the first colony?
Jamestown (Virginia) in 1607
Why did the people on the Mayflower come to the colonies?
They came for religious reasons, they did not want religious freedoms, they wanted to kill everyone else
What was happening in 1750?
Colonies were thriving but French and Indian war (french and native americans were fighting the english who was fighting the spanish)
Stamp Act
A way to tax the colonies, everything had a stamp and depending on the stamp is what you would have to pay
Boston Massacre
Only 5 people died, but the more violent the revolution became
What was the Boston Twea Party?
December 1773 the colonists threw tea into the Boston Harbor because the British weren’t gonna allow for them to use other ports
First Continental Congress
- Not all colonies showed up
- Boston wanted to go to war
- Boycott British good until they took back the Intolerable Acts
The Intolerable Acts
1) The Boston Port Act
2) The Massachusetts Government Act
3) Administration of Justice Act
4) The Quartering Act
Social Contract
John Locke’s idea of natural rights to life, liberty, and property (TJ happiness)
Locke also wanted limited gov to “protect” these rights
Common Sense
Reasons why it made sense to break away from England & if we had our own relationship w counties we would be better off
*written by Thomas Pain
Articles of Confederation
- Continental Congress set up (took 6 yrs to ratify)
- gave no central power
- army is dying and has no money
- needed 9/13 colonies to vote for something to pass
- amendments had to be unanimous
- did not have power to tax (collected money from states) (French gave us money as a “fuck you” to Britain)
What did states have?
sovereignty
What was the state’s currency like?
Each state had their own currency
Why did Shays’ Rebellion happen?
State’s started taking farms away from veterans, then all the farmers got weapons and started marching againt the government
What is popular tyrany?
a play on “popular sovereignty”, where power lied in the new government
What were the two major cities in “America”?
Philly & NYC
Which group wrote the constitution?
Constitutional Convention
What date was the Constitution established?
September 17 1787
What are some compromises after the Revolution?
Federalism
The Great Compromise
3/5 Compromise
The Bill of Rights
Rank the branches of Constitution order
1) Legislature
2) Executive
3) Judiciary
What was in the Virginia Plan?
- Bicameral legislature (based on population)
- independent judiciary
- legislature would be MOST POWERFUL
What was the New Jersey Plan?
- Unicameral body
- One vote per state
- multi-number executive branch
The Great Compromise
virginia + new jersey
Bicameral legislature (house & senate)
- has a lot of virginia plan qualities
What is Federalism?
Power is shared between state and national government
Question on test: What role did the 3/5th compromise have on the great compromise
Had to know the population for legislature and government didn’t know how to count enslaved people
What were the arguments with the 3/5th Compromise?
Southern states: wanted enslaved people to be counted as people
Northern states: did not
What’s the ratification/approval process?
3/4 of states (in convention or legislature)
What is the amendment/law process?
2/3 of states (in convention or state legislature)
Order who got to vote first
1) White men, 25+, owning land
2) the other white men
3) african american men
4) women
5) 18 year olds
6) People that live in D.C.
What are random amendments we talked about in lecture?
Prohibition - 21st amendment
Congress can vote itself a raise (this was supposed to be in the bill of rights) - 27th amendment
What are some amendments that did not pass?
1) ERA - Equal Rights Amendment (designed to give women equal rights to men, passed congress with way more than 2/3 of the states, only has 35 states ratified)
2) Term limits (15 states have them but not at the federal level)
What are Civil Liberties?
individual freedoms that place limitations on powers of government (found in the bill of rights)
What are Civil Rights?
the extension of government action to secure citizenship rights to all members of society
How do rights conflict?
1) Individuals against individuals
2) Individuals against society