The Americans Flashcards
What do the Americans focus on?
jefferson
hamilton
Madison
When did Jefferson become member of the house of burgesses?
1767 (age 24)
When was the “shot heard around the world” fired?
April 19 1775
Who writes the Declaration of Independence?
Thomas jefferson
Second continental congress
adopts declaration of independence
serves as conditional government through end of war
articles of confederation
written same time as declaration
strongly emphasized limited government
no chief executive
what did the articles of confederation - states rights need to be ratified?
consent
what could states do because of the articles of confederation?
sign treaties and mint their own currency
National congress elected by state legislature
could not enforce taxation
america owned foreign debt and couldn’t pay it because of this
when did Virginia call for a state convention on commerce?
Sept. 1786
What would produce the constitution?
a deal was struck to meet the next year with only 5 delegations showing up
Shays rebellion
massachusetts farmers lost their land because they couldn’t pay taxes or debts so they attacked the state arsenal
when was the constitutional convention?
May 1787
who mostly wrote the constitution?
Madison
Framer’s theory
did not want to abandon all of the principles of confederation
equality, self rule, natural rights
Was abject of monarchy important in Framer’s theory?
yes
what did framer’s theory advocate for?
republican democracy
equality (framers theory)
unaddressed in constitution
self rule (framers theory)
government derives its legitimacy from the consent of the governed
natural rights (framers theory)
the ‘unalienable’ rights described in the declaration
how long did the constitutional convention last?
may 25 - sept 17 1787
when was the documented ratified?
June 21 1788
three major fronts of the prominent debate
representation
powers of the national government
separation of powers
individual rights
powers of national government
debates about power of congress
separation of powers
anti federalists did not think that the constitution separated powers enough
federalist debates
April 1787 and 1788
Hamilton, Madison and Jay wrote under Publius
Federalist 10 (Madison)
warns against factions in American politics
establish a way to control negative effects of factionalism
federalist 10 solutions
representative democracy
large republic gives people ability to choose ‘natural democracy’
federalist 51 (Madison)
origin of checks and balances in the American system
if men were angels, no government would be necessary
ambition must be made to counteract ambition
origin of checks and balances in the American system
if the president is trying to expand their power, they have to contend w/ a congress who is trying to expand their power
if men were angels, no government would be necessary
if we were nice all the time we wouldn’t need gov.
ambition must be made to counteract ambition
no one branch lets any other branch get too powerful
federalist 23 (Hamilton)
argues for benefits of national UNION
articles insufficient for preserving the union of states
‘energetic’ national gov. is necessary
federalist 67 (Hamilton)
rationale for why presidents of us should look the way they do have have the power the way they do
what does federalist 67 provide reasons for?`
why the American presidency would not devolve into a monarchy
what does federalist 67 circle back to?
promote utility of checks and balances
what does Hamilton assert in federalist 67?
checks are enough to keep the presidency from becoming ‘most dangerous branch’
what did anti federalists fear?
strong central government would become tyrannical
what did anti federalists think?
constitution did not go far enough in guaranteeing negative freedom
what is the biggest concession anti federalists get?
guarantee that the bill of rights would be proposed for ratification
when are the first ten amendments in the constitution ratified?
December 1791
