Regents Review (what I can't seem to remember) Flashcards
Puritans
Puritans are very religious Calvinists (Protestant) and wanted to purify the English Anglican Church (which became more Catholic). They couldn’t, so they left for America—they also believed in Predestination (fate was decided before you were born). If they didn’t change the church to the way they believed God would want it, they worried it was a sign from God that they were all damned to hell. They had to do what they thought were the right thing because it would be evidence of their predestination.
They were an influential minority (lots of wealth and power). In 1630, they founded the Massachusetts Bay Colony (MBC), John Winthrop was the leader. (They migrated here as family units) Winthrop wanted the colony to be a “City upon a hill” (a beacon) wherein the other Puritans would look up to them. (The whole world will be predestined to heaven–The Puritans viewed their colony as proof that the world was saved—the weight of the world was on their shoulders. The way to success was to make their colony successful) If the colony fails, then that would be a sign that everyone goes to hell. (This idea was strictly a Puritan idea, did not occur in Jamestown) (They did not allow religious freedom in their colony)
Religion was very important—you needed to be a church member to participate in government.
(Not gonna go much further, it gets more complicated)
The MBC was successful because the Puritans had motivation (due to predestination) and the climate was mild and therefore ideal.
Separatists: (Congregationalist) Each church was essentially its own religion—each church is autonomous from one another. (Roger Williams and Anne Hutchinson—Antinomianism: the belief that if you are of the elect, then the holy spirit/ghost enters your body and controls your every action→ like a puppet.)
Jamestown (Virginia)
(Anglican) The people in Virginia settled there to Christianize the Natives.—King James created it because he believed God wanted to spread Christianity.
It did not go well here because of the swampy climate—many died due to malaria.
John Smith was the leader. (Pocohantas protected him from her father—Chief of the Powhatan Tribe) John Rolfe takes power after and cultivates tobacco alongside Pocohantas (whom he married)
Plymouth (Massachusetts)
Puritan Calvinist (Separatists). William Bradford founded it (it eventually merged with the MBC)
Columbian Exchange
Exchange of things between the Americas and Europe (including many diseases that came from Europe and killed Native Americans)
Gold, silver, corn, potatoes, tomatoes, tovacco, chocolate, etc. came from America
Wheat, sugrarcane, rice, coffee, cattle, pigs, sheep, many dieases (smallpox, black plague, flu, typhus,) guns, tools, slaves came from Europe
Middle Colonies (NJ, NY, Pennsylvania, Delaware)
Farmed grains (corn, wheat,), traded iron ore, lumber, and furs. Shipbuilding was also important. This region was the most socially and religiously tolerant (as compared to the other regions) due to its diversity
Southern Colonies (Virginia, Maryland, NC, SC, Georgia)
Farmed tobacco, indigo, sugar, cotton, rice. Many of the crops were labor-intensive and required a lot of work which depended on slavery and indentured servitude (people work without pay in order to repay debt).
New England Colonies (Massachusetts, RI, Connecticut, NH, Vermont, Maine)
Challenging climate made it harder for Puritans to farm. Focused on shipping, fishing (whaling), shipbuilding. Religion played a major role in the MBC.
Early Slave Trade
Native American slaves died from diseases brought from Europe, and so African slaves were used as replacements. Indentured slaves were also used before (white men who would work without pay for 7 years to satisfy “freedom debt”)
Triangular Trade
Promoted mercantilism (get as much gold/money as possible/increase nations’ wealth—maximize exports, minimize imports)
It’s what it wounds like (trade between America, Africa, and Europe)
Manufactured/Finished goods were coming from Europe and going to the colonies.
This was a system of trade between Europe, the Americas, and Africa. Slaves came from Africa and went to the Americas (the majority going to the Caribbean). They were treated terribly—some of them were forced to procreate so that they would have children that would also work on the plantations. Textiles and wine were shipped from Europe to Africa. Sugarcane (which was used for rum), blubber/oils (which was used to light lamps), and tobacco came from the Americas and was shipped to Europe.
Slavery begins
Was first written into law in Virginia—institutionalized slavery—black people lost their freedom and were treated as property. As slavery was instituted, indentured servitude became less common.
Slaves resisted their slave owners by attacking them physically, committing arson, killing themselves, and staging revolts. They also were more subtle and slowed down their work, feigned illness, and damaged tools/crops.
Early American Government
It was derived from the English government, Rome and Greece, and ideas from the Enlightenment.
Democracy (government by the people) was derived from Ancient Greece
Republic (voters electing representatives) was derived from Ancient Rome.
America also implemented similar laws from the Manga Carta (British document that placed limits on the King’s power to rule) Also rules that prevented arrest/imprisonment without trial were derived from here.
Enlightenment ideas are found within the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution:
John Locke defended property rights, majority rule, right to revolution, and natural rights (you are born with unalienable rights to life, liberty, and property) and believed it was the government’s job to protect people’s natural rights, and that in response, people would obey the government (Social Contract Theory—if the government takes away rights, the people have a right to revolt) (Rousseau supported the social contract)
Montesquieu supported the separation of powers in government (balance of powers) —legislative, judicial, executive.
Voltaire supported religious tolerance and an end to persecution.
Mayflower Compact
Pilgrims/Separatists that came to America came up with this contract. They stated their loyalty to the king and made their own government. They were self-governed with majority rule. (They made their own laws and elected their own leaders)
House of Burgesses (Virginia—Jamestown)
Republican representative lawmaking body (democracy) in the new world. However, not everyone was allowed to vote, it was limited to rich white men. (Took control after Smith)
The French and Indian War (Seven Years’ War)
This was a war fought between Britain and France (France was allied with some natives because they desired trade over colonies) for control in North America. The British won (hence why we speak English in America today)—the war ended with the Treaty of Paris 1763 (1754-1763). This event was important because it was a turning point that ended Salutary Neglect. After this war concluded, Britain looked to the Americans to pay off some of the war debt they had accumulated. The British thought this was reasonable because they believed they were protecting the American colonies from the French, when in reality, the American colonies didn’t feel threatened by the French at all. The Americans refused to pay these debts and so Salutary Neglect came to an end as the British tightened their grip on the American colonies and instituted new laws that angered them, such as the Navigation Acts and the Stamp Act.
Salutary Neglect
This was the British policy towards the American colonies in which Britain basically gave the colonies technical independence. In other words, they were not very strict with the colonies, due to many reasons. Firstly, the American colonies were very far away, and it would be hard to control them due to the lack of good communication. Secondly, the British were busy at the time—they had been involved in many wars, including their own civil war and could focus on almost nothing else. Lastly, the British were primarily focused on their Caribbean colonies. This is because rum was derived from the Caribbean, and due to the popularity of rum at the time, the British profited a lot from their Caribbean colonies.
However, Salutary Neglect came to an end once the British won the French and Indian War. The British wanted to raise money to pay off war debts and turned to the American colonists, because they believed they protected the colonists from the French and that it would be fair if they helped pay off the debt (this war was fought for control in the Americas). However, the colonists disagreed, which caused Britain to tighten its grip on the American colonies and institute new laws, which was contrary to what had been happening previously.
British Policies following the end of Salutary Neglect and leading to the revolution (Proclamation of 1763, Navigation Acts, Sugar Act, Stamp Act, some others, Townshend Acts/Boston Massacre, Tea Act/Boston Tea Party, Intolerable Acts)
1) The Proclamation Line of 1763: This was a law set by the British that prohibited the American colonists from settling in the west. The British used the Appalachian Mountains as a line the colonists could not pass. They most likely did this because they wanted to keep the settlers together (it’s much easier to control/collect taxes from a group of people contained in one spot as opposed to many people spread out across the Americas) Furthermore, the English wanted to control the fur trade with the Native Americans and didn’t want the colonists to get involved. (The British didn’t want conflicts between the natives and the colonists)
2) Navigation Acts: These laws made it so that the American colonists could only trade with England or England’s other colonies (No other European countries or other European colonies). Parliament instituted these laws to promote self-sufficiency of the British Empire. If someone disobeyed these laws, they would then be fined or jailed.
Merchants/shippers/plantation owners were predominantly hurt by this policy. They are all considered to be of the middle class/rich and so the Whig Oligarchy was primarily affected by this. They protested in a Lockean way and considered these laws to be a threat to their liberty.
3) The Sugar Act: (1764) A tax on sugar which was primarily used for rum. (an extremely profitable product)—sugar came from the Caribbean. This negatively affected the merchants. (Sugar is extracted from the Caribbean, it was brought north where it was refined to molasses/syrup, before becoming rum) This law affected investors who gave planters money. This act reduced the tax on molasses—however there wasn’t really a tax at all because it was never enforced. (It used to be 6p but then became 3p, but then again the 6p was never enforced) This too impacts the Whig Oligarchy (the rich)
4) The Stamp Act: This law, instituted by the British on the American colonies, taxed anything and everything that went through the printing press—including legal documents and newspapers. This is one of the few acts instituted by the British that affected people of all classes, as opposed to the Navigation Acts which primarily affected the rich. This act affected all classes of people, especially the poor. At the time, everyone read the newspaper–regardless of class. It was a form of leisure and a way to be informed of current events. This tax might not have been a lot to the rich, but to the poor, this prevented some of them from buying the newspaper because it became too expensive. The Whig Oligarchy used this as an opportunity to gain support from the lower classes to protest against the British (beforehand, the Whig Oligarchy protested against the British by themselves for things like the Navigation Act and the Sugar Act). Because the majority of American people have now become involved in politics, the Whig Oligarchy hoped that it would cause the British to change their policies. This (alongside the actions of the Sons of Liberty) resulted in Parliament repealing the Act due to the protests and boycotts.
5) Also the Quartering Act (people had to house British Troops), Writs of assistance, (merchant ships would be searched for smuggled goods without reason) and Declaratory Act (Parliament had the right/authority to make laws for the colonies)
6) The Townshend Acts: These Acts taxed many everyday things like lead, paint, paper, and most notably tea. Tea was very popular at this time —everyone drank it, including poor people. To the upper classes, this tax was nothing to them. However, to the poor, this tax made it so that many people could no longer afford tea. This made them angry. The Whig Oligarchy used this, as well as the Stamp Act that primarily affected the lower classes, to garner support for protesting against the British. They were temporarily successful, because these Acts were repealed, however the Tea Act was then instituted which also taxed tea but at a lower price. (The Boston Massacre was a result of the troops sent to enforce the Townshend Acts—Americans attacked the British troops and the troops opened fire, killing many)
7) The Tea Act: (smaller tax on tea than in the Townsend—reduce the tax) The British are hoping that because they lowered the tax, that people will stop causing problems. The East India Company controlled the selling of tea (usually it was controlled by the colonial merchants) Merchants are losing money. This results in the Boston Tea Party in which the Sons of Liberty dumped the tea into the sea. The British responded with the Intolerable Acts.
8) The Intolerable Acts (response to BTP) closed the port of Boston down (it was the most profitable port in the northeast—everything went through Boston) It was closed until the Massachusetts colony repaid the cost of lost tea (which they didn’t do). Britain also closed down town meetings (which they used to fix local problems) This pushed them closer to the revolution
The Sons of Liberty
They were a radical group that often used violence to intimidate the loyalists and force the British government to change. Sam Adams and Patrick Henry are both members of this group. A famous quote from Patrick Henry was “Give me liberty or give me death!”. They protested against the Stamp Act and are credited with saying “No taxation without representation”. They were an important force that helped lead the American Revolution.
The start of the American Revolution (Common Sense, DoI)
Causes:
Representatives from 12 colonies were sent to Philadelphia to plan a response to British actions at the First Continental Congress. (After Lexington and Concord, a second congress met)
The colonies were divided, Tories/Loyalists supported the King and Britain (typically upperclass and from the middle/southern colonies)
Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence and referenced many of John Locke’s ideas of social contract theory and the belief of natural rights (he changed some things —“life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” instead of property). The Declaration was adopted on July 4, 1976—the birth of America. It justified America’s reasons for independence, announced its independence to the world, had a list of grievances to the king, and said that “all men are created equal” with natural rights including “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” and that governments receive their power “from the consent of the governed” and that if a government abuses these natural rights that the government is supposed to protect, that the people “have a right to alter or abolish” that government.
The American Revolution
Britain fought with its troops, many natives, and German mercenaries on their side. America’s Continental Army (led by Washington) consisted of a ragtag group of volunteers defending their homes. However, they gained great help from France (due to France’s rivalry with Britain). France provided the Americans with plenty of supplies and Spain (France’s ally) engaged with Britain in other parts of the world.
The Battle of Saratoga was very important because it convinced the French that America might win the war and it prevented Britain from cutting off the rest of the colonies.
The revolution ended with the Battle of Yorktown in which the peace treaty called Treaty of Paris (1783) was negotiated. Britain recognized the independence of the US.
After the revolution, more people gained the right to vote. Also, more people were against slavery as many blacks helped fight the British. The northern states abolished slavery (however black people still faced discrimination and segregation). Natives on the other hand, were forced to move west (regardless if they were neutral or on the British or American side)
During the war, women acted as soldiers, spies, and helped with boycotts. They received praise, but were still denied equal citizenship. Women received a little more education—not enough for professions, but enough to make a more equal relationship between the men socially.
Articles of Confederation
America’s first constitution following the Revolutionary War.
WEAK NATIONAL GOVERNMENT
The drafters/signers of the Articles purposely created a Constitution with a weak national government because they feared giving too much power to the national government. Because their only experience of having a strong national gov’t. (British monarchy) caused TYRANNY. (abuse of power).
So as a result, much more power was given to the states than to the national government. Most Americans liked this, because most had more loyalty to their states/regions, than to the nation. At the time…very little sense of nationalism.
(a confederation is an alliance of independent states in which the central government has little power)
Successes:
Kept the states united
Weaknesses:
Only 1 branch of government…the legislative branch (Congress). No executive branch to enforce laws (President) and no judicial branch to interpret laws (Courts).
In order to pass a law, 9 out of 13 states were needed to approve it. (The north and south never agreed. With this rule, there would be some crossover—-like all northern states and a few southern states, but this never happened)
In order to amend the Articles, you needed all 13 states to agree (unanimous)….never happened!
Generally speaking, under the Articles, Congress could not effectively legislate. (The states had the most say—Congress had to convince the states to do things, which never happened)
Examples-
–Congress could not tax the people directly.
–Congress did not have the SOLE power to print money
–Congress could not raise an army
–Congress could not control trade (buying and selling of goods—the states had their own trade rules)
————————————–
At the Constitutional Convention, delegates decided to completely trash the Articles (they tried to revise it, but couldn’t) and a constitution was written.
Federalism
The power to rule/govern in this country is divided in half (2 levels of government: the federal government and the state governments. –there are also town/city governments but it’s not that important) The 2 both share power.
Constitutional Compromises
-The delegates agreed that the new Constitution needed to be strong enough to allow the national government to rule effectively, but not too strong so as to engage in tyranny.
1) The Issue of Representation in Congress- The Great Compromise (The Connecticut Compromise)
The two sides in the debate were larger states (populous) vs. the smaller states (less populated).
-The larger states supported the Virginia Plan- said that representation in Congress should be based on population. (in which case the larger states would have the most power)
-But the smaller states said that was unfair and instead proposed the New Jersey Plan- in which representation would be equal among all the states.
Compromise= The Great Compromise= Two Houses of Congress- (Bi-cameral Legislature)
=House of Representatives in which representation is based on population.
= Senate- in which representation is equally distributed.
2) The issue of slavery and representation- ⅗ Compromise
The two sides in the debate were southern states vs. northern states.
-Southern states wanted their slaves to count as white men for representation (for more political power) in the House of Reps, but not for taxation (so they don’t lose a lot of money).
-Northern states- wanted the opposite (wanted slaves to be counted for taxation, but not for representation) This is because it was viewed that slaves were property, not people. Property does not have political representation, but property taxes do in fact exist.
Compromise- Three-Fifths Compromise- Slaves will count as three-fifths of a white man for both representation (satisfying the south) in the House of Reps and taxation (satisfying the north). –(The south got a better deal—they got more representation, while the north basically got nothing)
3) The issue of trade/tariffs
-Tariffs are taxes on trade. There are basically two types of goods- imports and exports.
Southern states hated tariffs…but they really hated taxes on exports. The reason is that the Southern economy relied on farming (agriculture). After they grew stuff….they sold stuff…mainly to Europe. (Taxes on exports made it so that Europeans were less likely to buy southern goods because they cost more—this causes the south to lose money)
-Northern states supported taxes on imports. The Northern states were just starting to industrialize. They were in competition with European manufactured goods. So they wanted the U.S. Gov’t. (Congress) to place a tax on imports because that would raise the price of imported finished goods from Europe, which would encourage Americans to buy American made products since they will be cheaper.
Tariff Compromise= U.S. Gov’t (Congress) has the power to tax imports…but not exports. (Which pleases both the north and south)
4) Electoral College Compromise-There was a disagreement among the delegates at the Convention on the qualifications for the president, how the president should be elected, and how long his term should be.
(a separate argument)
The Bill of Rights- Two sides in the debate=
Federalists- led by Hamilton. Supported more power to the national gov’t. (mostly wealthy and northern)—hated Federalism
Anti-Federalists- led by Jefferson. Supported more power to the states. (mostly poorer and southern)—liked Federalism
The Anti-Federalists did not want to ratify (pass) the Constitution because they feared it would give too much power to the national gov’t and create tyranny.
Compromise:
Bill of Rights- Included in the Original Constitution which got the anti-federalists to ratify the Constitution (The Bill of Rights secure people from certain government abuses, thus preventing tyranny) {5 of the 10 amendments deal with rights you are given if you committed a crime. This is because Jefferson was worried that if someone had a position of power, a tyrannical government could unjustly arrest them and detain them if they spoke out. He was worried about a powerful national government that could do this to him and wanted to ensure it wouldn’t happen.)
The Federalist Papers
Supported the ratification (passing) of the Constitution. (“John Jay got sick after writing five, James Madison wrote 29, Hamilton wrote the other 51!”)
Key Constitutional Principles (Popular Sovereignty, Limited Government, Federalism
1) Popular Sovereignty: (Popular = of the people—if you are popular, you must be a people person) (sovereignty: power) The people have the power (basic premise of the constitution)—This is very Lockean. The government rules based on the consent of the governed.
2) Limited Government: Placing restrictions on the powers of state and national governments and on government officials. Because of this, no person is considered above the law.
3) Federalism: The division of power in the US. Power is split up between the national government and the state governments. —If you support the principle of Federalism, you want more power to the state governments. The only powers the national government should have are written in the constitution. If something is not written in the constitution it is expected that the states have that power. (Anti Federalists like Federalism, Federalists don’t like Federalism—-basically the opposite) —The 10th amendment: All powers not written in the constitution are reserved to the states. (Federalists: loose interpretation of the Constitution)
4) Separation of Powers: The 3 branches of government —to split the power so that not one branch has all the power. If power is decimated/less concentrated, there is less of a chance of abuse (it’s not impossible, but it’s unlikely) One branch may be corrupt, but the other two will balance it better as opposed to the entire government being abusive. (legislative, executive, judicial)
5) Checks and Balances: Each branch is independent from one another (it does not need another branch to act) Each branch is independent, but they also keep the other branches from becoming too powerful/ in check (hence “checks and balances”)—-Ex. Lawmaking: Congress can pass a law, however it is not a law until the President approves it. Usually the President signs the bill, however in rare circumstances, the president can veto the bill (it’s not dead, but it goes back to Congress, which can override it if it has a ⅔ majority in Congress) Presidential veto: checking Congress—Congress overriding it: Congress checking the president ——If the people believe their rights are being violated, they can sue and the courts can check both Congress and the President.
Judicial Review
(Gave more power to the judicial branch) It gives the courts the power to review laws/decide if a law is constitutional or not. Power given to the courts by the ruling in the Supreme Court case of Marbury v. Madison. Once the Supreme Court makes a ruling on a case with reference to Constitutional law, it can only be overturned by an additional Supreme Court ruling, or a Constitutional Amendment.
Constitution: Article 1 outlines the powers of the legislative branch (Congress)
Lawmaking branch
Financial Powers
—-Congress has the power to tax
——Congress has the power to borrow money
—–Congress has the sole power to print money and regulate its value
——Congress has the power to punish counterfeiters
Commercial (Trade) Powers
—Regulate interstate and foreign trade (domestic and foreign tariffs)
—–Establish post offices
—-Grant copyrights and patents
Military Powers
—-Declare War (only Congress can do this)
—Raise, Support, and Make Rules for an army and navy
—–Call up state militia to enforce federal law
Miscellaneous Powers
—-Establish naturalization laws (immigration)
Filibuster: Special power of the senate that gives every senator the right to talk as long as they want about why a bill is bad to delay the bill (they stall/delay the bill until the other people get irritated and want to forget about it—its put on the back burner and usually never comes up again) —This was made to protect minority rights and was stated in the Constitution (the fathers of the Constitution were in the minority—the rich) (objective: senator talks as long as they want to convince others it’s bad, but the main purpose was to delay it and make the others say “ok, ok, shut up already, I give in”)—-* Filibusters are ended with a vogue of Cloture (60 of 100 senators must vote to end the filibuster—- About 50 from a single party, 10 from another)
Article II (outlines the powers of the Executive Branch)
The founding fathers had two opposing fears about the presidency.
1) Making him too powerful would lead to tyranny (abuse of power)
2) Making him too weak would be a repeat of the failures of the Articles of Confederation
Originally, the founders wanted the legislative branch to be the most powerful branch…because there are a lot more people sharing power, than just one person as president.
Chief Executive
-he enforces the Constitution and the laws passed by Congress
- has the power of executive orders (TEMPORARY POWER THE PRESIDENT HAS) (president has the power to make a decision that becomes policy—However these last as long as their term)
- appoints all important gov’t officials, such as all federal judges and Cabinet officials. (Judges have life terms–they change if they die. —-The president appoints people who align with their affairs)
Chief of State
-Acts as the ceremonial head of the government and symbol of national unity {Usually most Americans feel connected to the president and look to the president as someone who brings the nation together , especially during tough times. (Internationally, other countries think of the president when thinking about America)}
Chief Diplomat -Power to make treaties with other nations (mainly on trade) -To either have diplomatic ties or cut those ties with any nation
Commander in Chief (Military Powers)
-Appoints all top military commanders
-May order the armed forces into action in cases of disturbances at home or abroad
Chief Legislator -Recommends legislation to Congress -Can veto legislation which he does not like (which rarely happens—Congress usually sends a bill they know will get passed—otherwise it’s a waste of time)
Judicial Powers -Appoints all federal judges (if there are openings–they serve life terms) -Has the power to grant pardons (amnesties/reprieves) (a “get out of jail free card”) (No one checks this power, he can free anyone if they are arrested for a federal crime, not state crimes—-Ex. Obama freed many people who were imprisoned for life for drug charges—a life sentence is too much for drug possession) -Enforces or refuses to enforce federal court decisions
Head of Political Party -Leader of his party which influences the members of his party to support him
Article III (outlines the powers of the Judicial Branch)
(Interpreting Law)
District Courts
-the lowest courts in the federal court system. They have original jurisdiction- they hear the case first
-civil cases- two or more people involved in a lawsuit. (ex. A corporation suing another over copyright infringement)
-criminal cases- federal Gov’t is charging someone with a crime
(ex. Counterfeiting money, tax evasion)
-Appellate Courts- Appellate jurisdiction- they hear the case on appeal.
-Supreme Court- Highest Court of the land- almost always has appellate jurisdiction. Only agree to hear about 100 cases…based on their view that the ruling on the case will have extreme Constitutional significance.
