Semester Exam ReviewAnswers

Seven Principles of Government

Federalism• A federal system divides power between a central government

and smaller, local governments• It allows individual states to deal with local problems at the

local level– so long as their actions are constitutional.

Checks and Balances• Each branch of government has the built in authority and

responsibility to restrain the power of the other two branches. This system makes government less efficient, but also prevents tyranny by one branch (p58)

Separation of Powers• The constitution assigns specific powers to each of the three

branches:• Legislative (Congress)• Executive (President)• Judicial (Supreme Court)

Colonization

Region Colony Why Founded?

By Who? Climate Economy

New England Rhode Island Religious Freedom Roger WilliamsAnne Hutchison

Long, cold wintersRocky soil, not good for farmingMany forests and riversLocated on the North Atlantic Coast

Trade- Fishing - Whaling- Timber- Fur

ShippingSubsistence farming

Middle Pennsylvania Religious Freedom

QuakersWilliam Penn

Very flat, fertile landMild winters

”Breadbasket Colonies”Produced wheat, grain, iron, and dairy

Southern Georgia Founded as a refuge for debtors and convicts

James Oglethorpe Mild climateFertile (rich) SoilVery ling growing seasonWarm and sunny

Plantation agriculture- Cotton- Rice- Tobacco- Indigo- Sugar caneMaryland Religious freedom Lord Baltimore &

the Catholics

Virginia Economic $$$

Jamestown• Founded in 1607• 1st successful attempt at colonization

• Suffered many hardships in the beginning• Ex. Focused on gold instead of growing food, illness, etc.

Natural boundaries of the 13 colonies

(West)Appalachian Mountains

(East)Atlantic Ocean

Mayflower Compact• 1620• Set forth ideas of self – government (self- rule) in the colonies• Written aboard the Mayflower by men before pilgrims landed

at Plymouth• Seen as a way to bind themselves to agreed upon laws.

Puritans• Emigrated to escape religious persecution

• Established Massachusetts Bay Colony, New Hampshire, Connecticut

Triangular (Transatlantic) Trade

The Middle Passage was the 2nd leg of the trip (from Africa to the West Indies). Slaves were subjected to horrible to horrible conditions & many died.

Mercantilism• Britain's policy to control colonial trade & make money for

Britain.• “Our corn will fetch its price in any market in Europe, and our

imported good must be paid for…”-Thomas Pain, Common Sense, 1776

ColoniesRaw Materials Mother

Country

(Britain)Manufactured Goods

Bering Strait Land Bridge• Native American Indians migrated to the Americas from Asia

by crossing this bridge.

Fundamental Orders of Connecticut

• Extended voting rights to non-church members• Limited the power of the governor• Expanded the idea of representative government

Road to the Revolution

Declaration of Independence• Written in 1776 by Thomas Jefferson• Listed colonial grievances against King George III

Writ of Assistance• Search warrant used to search ships for smuggled goods

The American Revolution

Battle of Yorktown• U.S. victory• Cornwallis became trapped in and surrendered• Ended the American Revolution

Battle of Saratoga• Turning point in the war• Benjamin Franklin helps negotiate the Treaty of Alliance with

France and Spain

Confederation to Constitution

Anti- Federalists• Against ratification• Wanted stronger states & more rights for people• Insisted the Bill of Rights be added to the constitution (said it

didn’t do enough to protect peoples rights)

Virginia Plan• Big states wanted to be based on population• 3 Branches of Government• Legislative Branch would have 2 houses• Houses were based on population

Great Compromise• Combined the New Jersey Plan (small state) and Virginia (big

state) plans• 3 branches of government• (Bicameral) 2 house legislative branch• Senate based on equality: 2 Senators per state• House of Representatives based on population

Articles of Confederation• Held the government together after the American Revolution• Weaknesses• No chief executive or national court• No power to settle disputes between states or make treaties• No power to tax, regulate trade, or settle land disputes• No international credibility• National gov’t and each state allowed to print and coin money

• Federal gov’t had very little power!

Constitutional Convention 1787• Constitution was written• Caused by Shay’s Rebellion• When our Founding Fathers got together to discuss problems

with the government established after we won the American Revolution

• Instead of revising the Articles of Confederation, they ended up writing a totally new system of government, WHICH WE STILL USE TODAY!

Constitution• Written in 1787

Amending the Constitution:• 2/3 vote (in both houses) needed to propose an amendment• 3/4 vote (state legislatures) needed to ratify an amendment

Shay’s Rebellion• A group of farmers rebelled against the government because

of high debt and high state taxes. • America’s leaders realized that an armed uprising of common

farmers spelled DANGER for the nation.• This forced those in charge to look at our system of

government.• (Under the Articles of Confederation, the national government

had little power.)

3/5ths Compromise• Solution for counting slaves in the population for taxes and

representation.

• Slaves will count as 3/5ths of a person

Launching a New Republic

George Washington• Wanted the US to follow a foreign policy based on the principle of non-

involvement in European affairs (avoid entangling foreign alliances).• Trade was fine, but he wanted US to not get involved with anything

happening across the ocean or we might get pulled into their problems• Warned against creating political parties• It would split the people into factions(groups) against each other instead of

everyone working for the good of the United States.• Warned against taxing the American people too heavily.• He felt the people would not soon forget what Britain had done to the

colonies with taxes and that we should be careful not to repeat the same mistakes.

• Washington set many precedents as President!• Ex. Creating a cabinet, serving two 4 year terms, etc.

Alexander Hamilton• Federalist – wrote many Federalist Papers• Believed the US should be Urban• Wanted strong Federal Government• 1st Secretary of State

Creation of Political PartiesThomas Jefferson

Democratic - Republicans

• Weak national government• Strong state governments• Strict construction

(interpretation) of the Constitution

• Against the national bank• Economy based on farming• Supporters: farmers,

tradespeople

Alexander HamiltonFederalists

• Strong national government• Weak state governments• Loose construction

(interpretation) of the Constitution

• For the national bank• Economy based on

manufacturing and shipping• Supporters: lawyers,

merchants, manufacturers, clergy

Landmark Court Cases

Marbury v. Madison (judicial review)

• Allowed the Supreme Court to decide if a law passed by Congress is Unconstitutional• Unconstitutional: If a law is made that says something that goes

against something the constitution says, it is considered “unconstitutional”

• The Constitution is the SUPREME LAW OF THE LAND so it must come before ANY OTHER LAWS

• This power is called the principle of Judicial Review (the judges can review!)

John Marshall• 4th Chief Justice of the Supreme Court• (almost single-handedly) gave new power to the Constitution• Established 3 Principles• Principle of judicial review• Supreme Court had the power to set aside laws of state

legislatures• Supreme Court had the power to reverse decisions of state courts

• Constitution should be treated as a “living” document

Louisiana Purchase& War of 1812

Louisiana Purchase• Purchased in 1803 by Thomas Jefferson• Doubled the size of the U.S. • 800,000 sq. mi. for three cents per acre• We were guaranteed the Mississippi waterway to the Gulf of

Mexico which included New Orleans• Paved the way for the westward expansion of the United

States

Causes and effects of the War of 1812

• Causes• British sailors

kidnapped our sailors and ships and MADE them enter the British Navy (Impressment)• British interfere with

American shipping and trade• War blocked British

goods from being imported

• Effects• Renewed patriotism

and love for the USA!• Weakened Native

American resistance• Increased American

manufacturing because we started refusing to buy British goods.