Quick Reference
US History ReviewTopic / SI Handouts
European Settlement / p.16-17
American Revolution / p.18-20
British North America / p.21-22
U.S. Constitution / p.1-2
19th Century Growth / p.23-27
Growing N-S Division / p.28-33
Civil War / p.34-38
Reconstruction / p.39-42
Progressive Era / p.43-46
America and the World / p.47-49
World War I / p.50-54
Key Developments After WWI
Great Depression / p.55-57
New Deal
World War II / p.58-62
Post WWII and Cold War / p.62-63
Civil Rights / p.64-66
Social Movements
American Gov’t Review
Declaration of Independence / p.21-22
U.S. Constitution / p.1-2
Federal Government / p.3-5, p.10-11
Bill of Rights & Civil Liberties / p.6-7
Citizenship
Political Parties & Elections / p.7-9, p.12-13
*recommended / *p.13-14
World History Review
Topic / SI Handouts
Renaissance / p.85-86
Reformation / p.86-89
Discovery & Exploration / p.90-92
Scientific Revolution & Enlightenment
Revolutions & Rebellions / p.93-94
World War I
Between the Wars / p.95-97
World War II
Decolonizing & Cold War / p.98-100
Late 20th Century
World Geography Review
Physical Geography / p.67-68
Cultural Geography
Middle East / p.69-71
Asia / p.72-73
Europe / p.74-76
Latin America / p.77-80
United States / p.80-81
*recommended / *p.82-84
U.S. Constitution
The first 20 years of the United States government was full of issues and conflicts. From the Bill of Rights to the Election of 1800, from the Judiciary Act to the formation of two political parties, the United States experienced change, confusion, and the establishment of the federal government as the supreme power in this new country.
A Two-Party System
As George Washington prepared to leave the Presidency, two political parties appeared on the scene: the Federalists, led by Alexander Hamilton and the Democratic-Republicans, led by Thomas Jefferson.
The Federalists emerged in the 1790s with Alexander Hamilton in the lead. Federalists supported a strong central government and believed in a broad interpretation of the Constitution through the Elastic Clause. Federalists also supported Hamilton in his creation of a national bank and his desire for the U.S. to pay back its debts from the Revolutionary War.
The Democratic-Republicans, led by Thomas Jefferson, were started as an opposition to the Federalists. The Democratic-Republicans supported a weak national government that left the states to make major decisions, and they believed in a narrow interpretation of the Constitution. They opposed the creation of a national bank and many other issues that Alexander Hamilton supported.
Important Events and Issues from 1789 to 1800
Judiciary Act of 1789
This act set up the national court system, which is made up of circuit courts, district courts, and the Supreme Court, according to the Constitution.
Bill of Rights
Also known as the first 10 amendments of the constitution, these amendments were passed within two years of the date they were written.
Whiskey Rebellion, 1794
In 1791, Congress passed a tax on whiskey made in the United States, which angered the farmers who sold whiskey on the frontier. They thought it was unfair and refused to pay it. In 1794, Alexander Hamilton sent troops to Pennsylvania to get farmers to follow the law.
Alien and Sedition Acts
In 1798, Congress passed four laws known as the Alien and Sedition Acts, which were directed at the Democratic-Republican party and its supporters. The Alien Act increased the number of years required to live in the U.S. before becoming a U.S. citizen from five years to 14. The Sedition Act made it illegal for U.S. citizens to say or write critical remarks about the government.
Thomas Jefferson and James Madison wrote papers that protested these acts. They argued that states had a right to declare them null and void. The state legislatures of Kentucky and Virginia passed resolutions saying they could declare federal laws null and void. The Federalists did not agree with the Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions because they thought only the Supreme Court could declare a law unconstitutional. This issue of state power vs. national power was not resolved until later.
Election of 1800
Before 1804, the president was elected by having the most electoral votes, and the person with the second-most votes became vice president. In 1800, Thomas Jefferson and his running mate Aaron Burr received the same number of votes, with current President John Adams coming in third and losing the election. The Federalist-dominated House of Representatives, which then had the right to select the president, almost elected Aaron Burr in order to deny the presidency to Thomas Jefferson. They eventually voted to elect Jefferson after Alexander Hamilton convinced them that Burr was a worse choice. In 1804, the 12th Amendment was passed, separating the voting for president and vice president.
Marbury v. Madison
At the end of John Adams term, he appointed his supporters to positions as judges and court officers. They were called "Midnight Judges." They did not receive their documentation to begin their positions before Adams left office. Newly elected President Jefferson instructed Secretary of State James Madison not to give appointees their papers. One appointee, William Marbury, sued Madison for his papers. The case, Marbury v. Madison, made it to the Supreme Court in 1803. There, Chief Justice John Marshall stated the opinion that the Court did not have the power to make Madison give Marbury his papers. The Court ruled that the part of the Judiciary Act of 1789 that granted the Court the power to do so was unconstitutional. It was the first time the Supreme Court declared an act of Congress unconstitutional.
Popular sovereignty is the concept that governmental power is given with the consent of the people. In the United States, the Constitution mandates that certain political officials are elected into office, and while all officials are able to exercise power, they are still held accountable to the people.
Individual rights were a concern for many early Americans, who did not want the United States government to infringe on their rights as they felt Britain had. Most individual rights we have are listed in the Bill of Rights, which became the first ten amendments to the Constitution.
Limited government implies that legal restrictions are placed on governmental power. Usually, governmental power is curtailed by a written document, such as the U.S. Constitution. This idea is also closely related to individual rights. The Tenth Amendment declares that state governments and individuals—not the central government—have rights to any powers not specifically enumerated to the central government. Furthermore, the Constitution lists further specific powers that the central government does not have.
Federalism is the constitutional principle that the central government—also called the federal government—must share power with state and local governments. By giving state and local authorities responsibility for their areas, the central government can still fulfill its national responsibilities while being limited from attaining too much control.
Republicanism relates to the form of democratic government in which the people are represented by elected leaders. At the time when the United States Constitution was written, republicanism was an alternative to the monarchy that existed in England. Republican government derives its power from the people and from constitutional law.
Separation of powers is a key principle established in the Constitution. The failed Articles of Confederation had taught Americans that the central government needed some power, but many still did not want to see one leader (or group of leaders) completely dominate the country. Instead, they divided responsibilities among three branches of government: executive, legislative, and judicial.
Checks and balances are related to separation of powers. Checks and balances were set by the Constitution to grant the three government branches certain powers over each other. For example, the president of the United States is the head of the executive branch and has certain powers over the Congress, who makes up the legislative branch. If Congress attempts to pass a bill that the president does not agree with, the president can veto the bill, hindering it from becoming a law.
Federal Government
As designated by the U.S. Constitution, the Federal Government has three branches: legislative, executive, and judicial.Legislative Branch - / The legislative branch of the U.S. government is made up of the Congress. Congress is made up of two chambers, the House of Representatives and the Senate. The legislative branch is responsible for making laws. Members of the House of Representatives are elected to serve two-year terms, and senators are elected to serve six-year terms. The House is presided over by the Speaker of the House, who is elected by colleagues, and the Senate is presided over by the vice president. Each state has two senators, but the number of representatives in the House is determined by the state's population.
Executive Branch - /
The executive branch of the U.S. government is made up of the president, vice president, and the many executive departments. It is the responsibility of the executive branch to enforce the laws created by the legislative branch. Also, the president has veto power. There are fifteen cabinet level departments of the executive branch which are Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Education, Energy, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Housing and Urban Development, Interior, Justice, Labor, State, Transportation, Treasury, and Veterans Affairs. The leaders of these departments are members of the Cabinet and serve as policy advisers to the U.S. President.
Judicial Branch - /
The judicial branch of the U.S. government consists of a system of courts spread throughout the country, headed by the Supreme Court of the United States. The judicial branch is responsible for interpreting laws and determining whether they are constitutional or not.
Checks and Balances - / A system of limits imposed by the U.S. Constitution on all branches of government by granting each branch the right to amend or void certain actions of other branches.
The United States Constitution is the supreme law of the land. It established principles that guaranteed the government would not overstep its power, but it still gave the government enough authority to carry out its responsibilities.
Popular sovereignty is the right people have to elect their leaders. In concept, the leaders derive their right to rule from the will of the people. The Constitution mandates that certain political officials are elected into office, and, while all officials are able to exercise power, they are still held accountable to the people.
Individual rights were a concern for many early Americans, as they did not want the United States government to infringe on their rights as they felt Britain had. Most individual rights we have are listed in the Bill of Rights, which became the first ten amendments to the Constitution.
Limited government is closely related to individual rights. The Tenth Amendment declares that state governments and individuals—not the central government—have rights to any powers not specifically enumerated to the central government. Furthermore, the Constitution lists further specific powers that the central government does not have.
Federalism is the constitutional principle that the central government—also called the federal government—must share power with state and local governments. By giving state and local authorities responsibility for their areas, the central government can still fulfill its national responsibilities while being limited from attaining too much control.
Republicanism relates to the form of democratic government in which the people are represented by elected leaders. At the time when the United States Constitution was written, republicanism was an alternative to the monarchy that existed in England. Republican government derives its power from the people and from constitutional law.
Separation of powers is a key principle established in the Constitution. The failed Articles of Confederation had taught Americans that the central government needed some power, but many still did not want to see one leader (or group of leaders) completely dominate the country. Instead, they divided responsibilities among three branches of government: executive, legislative, and judicial.
Checks and balances are related to separation of powers. Checks and balances were set by the Constitution to grant the three government branches certain powers over each other. For example, the executive president holds power over the legislative Congress through veto, the ability to prevent a passed bill from becoming a law.
Court cases that verified Constitutional supremacy
Marbury v. Madison (1803) - established that the Supreme Court had the right to strike down any law it perceived as in violation of the Constitution. It is notable that this right is called "judicial review," and it is one of the checks and balances given to the judicial branch.
Gibbons v. Ogden (1824) - ruled that the U.S. Constitution overrides any state laws that directly conflict.
Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) - ruled that "separate but equal" was constitutional.
Brown v. Board of Education (1954) - ruled that school segregation was unconstitutional.
Swann v. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education (1969) - instituted school busing to force desegregation.
Civil Liberties and Civil Rights
Civil liberties refers to freedoms that protect the individual from government. They set limits for government so it cannot abuse its power. Civil disobedience is the refusal to obey certain laws, demands, and commands of a government, or of an occupying power, without turning to violence.
The Bill of Rights is the first 10 amendments to the Constitution. Some of the amendments that have been approved since the adoption of the Bill of Rights have expanded the definition of American citizenship.
First Amendment guarantees freedom of religion, speech, and the press. It also guarantees the right to assemble and to petition.
Second Amendment guarantees the right to keep and bear arms.
Third Amendment spells out conditions for housing soldiers.
Fourth Amendment guarantees protection from unreasonable search and seizure.
Fifth Amendment guarantees the right to due process of the law and protects citizens from double jeopardy and self-incrimination. Also, private property cannot be taken without compensation.
Sixth Amendment guarantees a speedy trial and other rights of the accused.
Seventh Amendment guarantees trial by jury.
Eighth Amendment prohibits excessive bail and cruel and unusual punishment.
Ninth Amendment protects rights not specified in the Bill of Rights.
Tenth Amendment protects powers of states and people.