GOVERNMENT
Guided Readings
Chapter 2: Origins of American Government
Section 1: The Colonial Period pp. 35-40
Key terms
A. Limited government: ______
______.
B. Representative government: ______
______.
C. Separation of powers: ______
______.
Main Ideas
Americans today enjoys a legacy of self-government handed down from the English colonist. This legacy enables Americans to voice their opinions without fear of punishment, to choose their own leaders, and to take an active role in shaping their nation and communities.
1. The English King John was forced by a group of nobles to sign the ______in 1215. This document established that the powers of the monarchy or government were ______not ______.
2. The Magna Carta provided citizens with protection from:
A. ______
B. ______
3. Parliament, forced King Charles I in 1628 to sign the Petition of Right, which further limited the Kings power. List four things the Monarch could no longer do:
A. ______
B. ______
C. ______
D. ______
4. Parliament passed the English ______in 1688. The five key ideas in the document were:
A. ______.
B. ______.
C. ______.
D. ______.
E. ______..
5. A major cause of the American Revolution was that colonist felt that they were being deprived of rights guaranteed in the English ______.
6. The 17th century philosopher ______also influenced American ideas about ______. He believed people possess natural rights to ______, ______, and ______.
7. Both the ______and the ______reflect Locke’s ideas.
8.In 1620, while still on the ship Mayflower, 41 men, represent ting all the Pilgrim families drew up the first written constitution in America. It was called the ______.
9. Puritan settled the nearby Massachusetts Bay colony. In 1636 they adopted the ______, which established the first basic system of law in the English colonies.
10. Colonist who left and settled Connecticut drew up the ______. This document laid out a plan for government that gave the people the right to elect their ______, ______, and ______to the legislation.
11. Unlike the Great Fundamentals, it did not restrict its rights to ______. Soon after other English colonies drew up their own plans of government with the same system of ______and ______.
12. The first legislation in American was established in ______in 1619. It was called the ______and was made up of elected officials.
13. Colonial legislation was an example of government by the ______of the governed because a large number of men were ______to vote.
14. Colonial charters divided the power of government. List the three divisions and who was over each division:
A. ______
B. ______
C. ______
15. Matching: match each item in columns A with an item in Column B. Write the correct letters in the blank.
Column A
_____1. Established limited government
_____2. Textbook of the American Revolution
_____3. Colonial government
_____4. Colonial laws
_____5. America’s first formal constitution
Column B
A. Mayflower Compact
B. Fundamental Order of Connecticut
C. John Locke’s ideas
D. Magna Carta
E. Great Fundamentals
Section 2: Uniting for the Independence pp-42-47
Key Terms
A. Revenue: ______
B. Embargo: ______
Main Ideas
For the most part, Great Britain allowed its colonies to rule themselves for 150 years. Then in 1760’s the British government began to tighten its control over the colonies.
1. Two events changed the relationship between the colonist and their rules. What were they?
A. ______
B. ______
2. Angry colonist protested Parliament taxes by boycotting British goods. In 1773 colonist dumped a shipload of tea into Boston Harbor. Parliament passed more laws to punish Boston. Furious colonist called these laws the ______.
3. The ______or ______, united colonist and in 1765, nine colonies met in New York at the ______, the first formal meeting to protest King George III’s actions.
4. What was the purpose of the first Continental Congress? How many colonies attended? What did they agree to do?
A. ______
B. ______
C.______
______
5. Name the four key leaders that attended the First Continental Congress:
A. ______
B. ______
C. ______
D. ______
6. The first blow of the American Revolution fell on the morning of ______when British Redcoats clashed with colonist at ______and ______.
7. This clash was later called the “ ______”
8. The ______met three weeks later with all 13 colonies attending. ______was chosen President. It assumed the powers of a ______
9. Name three actions the Second Continental Congress took:
A. ______
B. ______
C. ______
10. Who Wrote Common Sense and how did it influence the colonies?
A. ______
B. ______
11. Who wrote the draft for the Declaration of Independence? Name other committee members that helped to prepare the document.
A. ______
B. ______
C. ______
D. ______
E. ______
12. The “ Declaration of Independence” was approved by Congress on ______. ______was the first to sign it.
13. The purpose of the Declaration of Independence was what?
______
14. Why is the Declaration of Independence so famous? ______
______
15. The Declaration has three parts. List them:
A. ______
B. ______
C. ______
16. Matching: Match each item in Column A with an item in Column B. Write the correct letters in the blank.
Column A.
_____1. Defeat of the French in America
_____2. Government collected money
_____3. First direct tax
_____4. Closed Boston Harbor
_____5. Agreement prohibiting trade
Column B
A. Revenue
B. Intolerable Acts
C. French and Indian War
D. Embargo
E. Stamp Act
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Section 3: The Articles of Confederation pp. 48-52
Key Terms
A. Ratify: ______
B. Unicameral: ______
C. Cede: ______
D. Ordinance: ______
Main Ideas
In 1777 a committee appointed by the Congress presented a plan called the Articles of Confederation. By March 1781, all thirteen states had ratified, or approved the Articles of Confederation.
1. In 1781 the states set up a league of friendship under the ______, which gave each state one vote in a congress that made ______and ______.
2. Under the Articles the plan for the central government included a ______, or single chamber congress. It did not include an ______branch or a ______. There was no ______system. Congress would settle disputes between the states.
3. Congress had only the powers expressed in the Articles, including the powers to:
A. ______
B. ______
C. ______
D. ______
E. ______
F. ______
G. ______
H. ______
I. ______
J. ______
4. There were major weaknesses to the Article, list seven (7):
A. ______
B. ______
C. ______
D. ______
E. ______
F. ______
G. ______
5. Did the members of Congress under the Articles represent the people? Explain your answer.
______
6. What do you consider the Greatest weakness of the Articles of Confederation?
______
7. How did the land policies of the Confederation help to create the present U.S.?
______
______
8. What was the greatest achievement of the Confederation ?
______
______.
9. The individual states ceded their claims to these lands and Congress enacted laws such as the ______that established the land would eventually become states on an equal basis.
10. Another accomplishment was the ______with ______in 1783 which recognized American Independence and ceded land from the Atlantic Coast to the Mississippi River.
11. Two major problems facing the nation after the war were:
A. ______
B.______
12. Why did Shay’s Rebellion cause concern in Congress? ______
______
______
13. In 1785 ______invited representatives from Maryland and Virginia to discuss their differences. The meeting was so successful in 1786 Virginia called all states to another meeting called the ______. This meeting was to discuss trade, which later led to anther meeting in Philadelphia in May 1787 to meet to revise the ______.
Section 4: The Constitutional Convention pp. 53-58
Key Terms
A. Interstate commerce: ______
B. Extralegal: ______
C. Anarchy: ______
Main Ideas
The Constitution Convention began on May 25, 1787. Fifty-five delegates from twelve states attended. Quickly they realized they could not revise the Articles and that they needed a new plan.
1. On what issues did convention delegates agree?
A. ______
B. ______
C. ______
D. ______
2. ______is often called the “______” because he wrote the basic plan of government that the convention eventually adapted.
3. The first plan considered was the Virginia Plan which had 3 three components, List them:
A. ______
______
B. ______
C. ______
This plan in modified form, eventually became the basis for the Constitution.
4. The convention deadlocked over ______. Large states favored representation based on ______while small states wanted ______representation regardless of population.
5. The ______broke the stalemate. It called for a ______with _____members from each state and a ______with representation based on population. This made both large and small states feel they had won.
6. Debates over slavery and commerce led to more compromise. Under the ______, three-fifths of enslaved people would be counted for both taxation and representation.
7. Compromise on Commerce and the Slave trade occurred when congress agreed not to ban ______until ______but could regulate ______and ______.
8. ______claimed the Constitution was ______and that it needed a ______to protect what was won in the Revolutionary War.
9. A group called the ______argued without a strong central government, the country would face anarchy or political disorder. The Federalist promised to add a ______as the first order of business under a new government.
10. Many small states quickly ratified the Constitution and it went into effect when ______became the ninth to sign it. Virginia and New York held out. Virginia finally signed but to win New York, ______wrote the ______a collection of 80 essays in support of the constitution. New York finally ratified the Constitution.
11. ______was the nation’s temporary capital. ______was elected President and John Adams Vice President. Congress met for the first time on______. On April 30, 1789, Washington was sworn in as our first President.
12. During the first session of Congress, ______introduced a set of amendments. Congress approved 12 of them and the states ratified ten of them in 1791. These first ten (10) amendments became known as the ______.
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