Unit 2 - Constitution and Westward Expansion Flashcards
Double Jeopardy
- you can only be tried once per crime
- once proven innocent you can admit to the crime and not be punished because the case closed
Self Incrimination
- you cannot self-incriminate
- plead the 5th
- don’t say anything that could be used against you in court
Slander vs. Libel
- both rumors that are untrue
- slander is spoken
- libel is written
Articles of Confederation
- first attempt at a constitution
- during the revolution
- weak colonial/stat gov –> no say
- Need to centralize gov
- not too strong, but necessary
- needed to keep promises
- National gov power < state gov power
- not united
Federalists
- believed in the constitution
- lived in coastal areas
- worked in commerce
wants: - strong and stable federal gov established
- more international trade
Anti-Federalists
- believed the constitution didn’t give barriers against potential abuse of fed gov
- lived in rural areas
- thought that fed gov was far from their beliefs
wants: - favored more power to the state govs
Bicameral
2 houses or branches
Electoral College
- electoral vote- based or members of congress (HR + Senate)
- 55 votes in the beginning (amt of ppl @ convention)
- ONLY politicians voted (not the rest of
americans) - Popular vote - winner take all in the state
gives pres. all of their
electoral votes
- except Maine + Nebraska - electors DONT HAVE to cast their vote as the popular votes leans
James Madison
- was a nobody until the constitutional convention
- took advantage of the ego in the room + studied up –> came with a plan
- 600 printed pages of notes - “Father of the Constitution”
- self-selected secretary of the convention
- proposed 12 AMENDMENTS
- only 10 approved (Bill of Rights)
George Washington
- 1st president
- owned slaves but was against it …?
- good, natural leader
- militia men commander (where he got his experience)
- antifederalist
James K. Polk
- President
- only cared about expanding America
- hired Taylor to provoke Santa Anna
“American blood on American soil’
Zachary Taylor
- sent to poke at Santa Anna to start the war
- Military Leader
Mountain Men
- went to the mountains for beaver pelts
- hard job - solitary
- 1/4 of men survived
- Unfriendly native Americans
- ephiram (grizzly bears)
- Freeze to death
- Rendezvous
- left because fashion changed and beaver were going extinct and the fur became worth less
Pioneer (westward) Women
- Claimable land and education available for them (not normal in america)
- built towns
- did dangerous jobs
- were trailblazers - inspiring independent women
- got more dominance + did domestic tasks
Mormons
- treated Natives as EQUALS - friends - kept their relationships good
- left buildings for others to use once they moved on
- lived in a cluster - keep the culture
alive - environmental friendly
- Polygamy - men should have many wives
- more wives the more God loves you - Joseph Smith + Brigham Young
Christian Missionaries
- belief that Christianity will “civilize” the west
- tried to convert Native Americans and mormons and protestants
- Natives were FORCED to convert brutally
- a whole town was burned down killing
800 natives because they resisted
- a whole town was burned down killing
- Natives became slaves to missionaries
- Natives lost trust in Christians because they would do the opposite of what they preached
- Whitman family
49ers
- went west for GOLD
- people from all over the WORLD came to California
- reshaping California
- changed the culture in California too
- life was hard
- panning for gold
- high crime rates
- not much housing or sanitation
- easier to lose money because it was
expensive to live there - 4 year long Gold Rush
- most people would make more money not digging for gold and selling shovels, renting out housing, or selling their land because there was POSSIBLE gold on it
- Levi Staus
Shays Rebellion
- 1000 farmers revolt against bank
- felt that they were cheated by the bank
- angry –> kill, burn, attack the bank because of the loans
- militia men needed help but no one came to help from other states –> U.S. was divided by states now
Constitutional Convention
- May, 1787, Philadelphia
- secret
- meeting of the states
- 55 delegates
- all the same, “well bred, well fed, well
wed”, 2/3 lawyers - 75% of the delegates were slave owners
Manifest Destiny
land Acquisition of white Americans expanding America
Mexican Cession
- Border dispute - nueces or rio Degrande
- Zachary Taylor
- James K. Polk
- 18 mo later
- mexico city fallen
- Treaty of Guadalupe
- Mexican Cession land is claimed
- Ends the war w/ Mexico
- $15 mil - “saving face” - lightened
the blow of the loss of land
- gave us a start to railroad building
- gold on the land
Assimilation (Americanization of Natives)
- Converting Native Americans to a more white culture
- Boarding school
- Adoption
Three Branches of Government
- Legislative
- Judicial
- Executive
- none of them had more power over another
- balanced (not monarchy like)
Legeslative / House of Congress
- bicameral legislature
- house of representatives (based on
population)
- senate (based on equality)
- house of representatives (based on
Judicial
- Supreme court
Excectutive
- president
- vice president
- cabinet
1st amendment
Freedom of speech, religion, petition, assembly, and press
- no rumors for speech and press + no threats
- PEACEFUL assembly
- religion cannot infringe on other religions
2nd amendment
Bear arms
- you can own a gun
- reasons:
- hunt
- self-protection
- on case of the british
3rd amendment
Quartering soldiers
- you can deny a soldier asking to stay in your home
4th amendment
Search and seizure
- police need to follow certain procedures to arrest and search a house
- warrant needed to search a house
- to get a warrant evidence is needed
for a judge to approve
5th amendment
Due process of law
- Double jeopardy
- grand jury
- self incrimination
- Due process
- Just compensation
6th amendment
- Speedy + fair trial
- witness council
- jury present
7th amendment
Jury for civil suits
- right to a jury being present for someone suing for over $20
- civil case (suing for $) NOT CRIMINAL
8th amendment
Cruel and unusual punishment
3 Clauses
- Excessive bail
- Excessive Fines
- cruel and unusual punishments
9th amendment
Non enumerated rights
- still our rights even if not enumerated
10th amendment
Rights to states and people
Veto
ability to deny an idea
impeachment
initiates charges against a person in office
- kicks them out of office if fully pursued
judicial review
supreme court can take an active role in making sure all branches of government abide by the constitution
William patterson
- federalist
- senate
- Co-writer for the NJ Plan - wanted unicameral
- signed the constitution
Roger Sherman
proposed the great compromise to senate
- senate of connecticut
- federalist
Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo
ended the war between US and Mexico
- Mexico ceded 55% of its territory
all claims to Texas have been given up by mexico
Checks and Balances
Law to balance out Government
- no one branch gets too powerful
- branches can veto other branches
- branches all have to agree on new laws
Federalism
belief in the constitution and that the US needs to be united under one set of laws
Land Aquisition
- louisiana purchase
- Florida purchase
- texas annex
- oregon claims
- Mexican cession
- Gadsden purchase
Lewis and Clark
explored the louisiana purchase land for the government
- bombarded native American groups
–> Natives thought that’s what all
Americans were like
Industrial revolution
America started using machines to do laborious work instead of by hand
1760-1840
Living Document
a document that can be amended to
Ex: the constitution
