Required Documents LONG FORM CARDS Flashcards
The Declaration of Independence (1776)
PURPOSE:
- Thomas Jefferson
- Revolutionary statement
- Modeled after Enlightenment thinkers like John Locke
CORE IDEAS:
- Natural Rights
- Social Contract
- Grievances
WHY IT MATTERS:
- Embodied the ideological foundation of American democracy
- Justified rebellion not just as a right, but a duty in the face of tyranny
- Inspired other revolutionary and anti-colonial movements globally
BONUS:
- The Declaration was not just a break-up letter with Britain–it was a philosophical blueprint for self-governance grounded in popular sovereignty
The Articles of Confederation (1781-1789)
PURPOSE:
- America’s first constitution
- Drafted during the Revolutionary War
- Reflected deep fears of centralized power
STRUCTURE:
- A unicameral Congress
- No executive or judicial branch
- Each state got one vote
- Amendment required unanimous approval
POWERS CONGRESS HAD:
- Declare war
- Make treaties
- Borrow money
- Maintain an army/navy
POWERS CONGRESS LACKED:
- Couldn’t tax
- Couldn’t regulate interstate commerce
- Couldn’t draft soldiers
- Needed 9/13 states to pass major legislation
WHY IT FAILED:
- Economic chaos: inflation, trade wars between states
- No military response to uprising (Shays’ Rebellion)
- Foreign policy failure: no unified diplomatic voice
- Led directly to the Constitutional Convention of 1787
KEY CONCEPT:
- The AOC prioritized state sovereignty over national unity
- Its weaknesses demonstrated the need for a stronger federal structure
The U.S. Constitution (1787)
The U.S. Constitution replaced the Articles and established a more robust federal system with three co-equal branches.
The Bill of Rights, added in 1791, placated Anti-Federalist concerns by protecting individual liberties
STRUCTURE:
- Preamble: “We the People…”
- Article I: Legislative Branch (Congress)
- Article II: Executive Branch (President)
- Article III: Judicial Branch (Supreme Court)
- Articles IV-VII: States, Amendments, Supremacy, Ratification
PRINCIPLES EMBEDDED:
- Popular Sovereignty
- Limited Government
- Checks and Balances
- Federalism
- Separation of Powers
- Republicanism
WHY IT’S REVOLUTIONARY:
- Power derived from the people, not monarchs or states
- Amended through Article V: allows the document to evole
BONUS:
- The Constitution is a living document–amendable and open to interpretation–that balances order and liberty through institutional design
Brutus No. 1 (1787)
- Robert Yates
This Anti-Federalist paper opposed the new Constitution, warning that centralized power would erode state authority and threaten liberty
CORE CONCERNS:
- The Constitution gives too much power to the federal government
- Supremacy Clause
- Necessary and Proper Clause
- Fears of an elite ruling class: too far removed from the people
- Large republics lead to corruption, distant government, and loss of liberty
- Standing armies = instruments of oppression
BRUTUS’S VISION:
- Favored a small, decentralized government
- Believed only a confederation could preserve liberty
Brutus advocated for decentralized democracy–small republics where leaders stay closely accountable to their constituents
Federalist No. 10 (1787)
- James Madison
Madison tackled the dangers of factions–groups united by common interests adverse to the rights of others.
PROBLEM:
- Factions are inevitable in a free society–and dangerous
SOLUTION:
- Don’t suppress liberty (that would be tyranny)
- Instead, control the effects of factions via a large republic
- A representative democracy refines and enlarges public views
- A large republic dilutes factional influence across many interests and regions
LEGACY:
- Justifies pluralism and a large federal system
- Supports the constitutional structure: federalism + a bicameral legislature
- Contrasts directly with Brutus 1, which feared big government
BONUS:
- Madison wasn’t saying factions were good–just that controlling their effects, not eliminating them, was the best strategy
Federalist No. 51 (1788)
- James Madison
This essay focused on structural protections against tyranny, emphasizing how the Constitution’s system of checks and balances preserves liberty.
PROBLEM:
- How do you prevent any one branch from becoming too powerful?
SOLUTION:
- Separation of Powers
- Checks and Balances
- Humans are flawed (“if men were angels…”), so power must check power
- Encourages federalism: power further divided between state and national governments
BONUS:
- Federalist 51 directly supports ideas like judicial review, bicameralism, veto power, and impeachment–all mechanisms to avoid tyranny
Federalist No. 70 (1788)
- Alexander Hamilton
Hamilton made the case for a single, energetic executive, arguing that a strong presidency would lead to decisive leadership and greater accountability.
ARGUMENT:
- The U.S. needs a single, energetic executive
WHY:
- Unity = accountability, one person can be held responsible for decisions
- Speed and secrecy in national defense, law enforcement, foreign affairs
- Multiple executives would create conflict, blame-shifting, and slow responses
HAMILTON’S FEAR:
- Weak leadership leads to legislative dominance (tyranny by slow committee)
Federalist No. 78 (1788)
- Alexander Hamilton
PURPOSE:
- Here, Hamilton defends the judiciary, especially judicial review, as a guardian of the Constitution
KEY POINTS:
- Judiciary is the “least dangerous branch”–it has no money (Congress) or army (Executive)
- Judges should serve for life to ensure independence
- Introduces the concept of judicial review
BONUS:
- This paper is the philosophical basis for Marbury v. Madison (1803), which established judicial review as precedent
The Bill of Rights (1791)
- The first 10 amendments
- Anti-Federalists demanded protections for individual rights
EXAMPLES:
- 1st: speech, religion, press, assembly
- 2nd: right to bear arms
- 4th: protection against unreasonable searches
- 5th/6th: rights of the accused
- 10th: powers not delegated to the federal government are reserved to the states
Letter from Birmingham Jail (1963)
- Martin Luther King Jr.
Although written nearly 200 years after the founding, this letter embodies the moral vision behind American government and civil rights
CONTEXT:
- MLK was jailed for violating a court order banning protests in Birmingham, Alabama
CORE ARGUMENTS:
- Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere
- Civil disobedience is justified when laws are unjust
- Advocates for nonviolent direct action to create tension and force negotiation
- Criticizes white moderates who prefer “order over justice”
- Urges moral responsibility over blind obedience to law
RELEVANCE:
- Connects to natural rights and social contract theory
- Shows how American foundational ideas were used to expand liberty for all
King invokes natural rights philosophy–echoing Jefferson–by asserting that unjust laws degrade human dignity and violate moral law
