In a Flash

  • Thomas Paine and Common Sense

-Wrote this pamphlet

-To encourage colonists to fight for independence

  • Facts about the United States House of Representatives

-Based on a state’s population

-Part of Great Compromise/Connecticut Compromise

  • The U.S. Census

-Conducted every ten years

-To determine a state’s population

-To determine # of state’s representatives in the House and # of electors in the state

  • Northwest Ordinance of 1787

-Accomplishment of Articles of Confederation government

-Established the procedure on how a territory became a new state

-Established policy for creating a new state

  • Federalism

-Our American System of Government

-A Federal Government and State Governments

  • Judicial Review

-The Supreme Court has the power to declare a law unconstitutional

  • Montesquieu

-European Enlightenment Philosopher

-Separation of Powers to Prevent Tyranny

  • Examples of the Unwritten Constitution

-The President’s Cabinet

-Political Parties

-Judicial Review

-Congressional Committees

  • Elastic Clause of Constitution

-The “Necessary and Proper” Clause

-Implied Powers

-Allows Congress to do other activities to ensure that it can carry out its duties

-Allows Congress to do more than what is enumerated in the Constitution

  • Protection Against Unreasonable Searches and Seizures

-Fourth Amendment

  • Role of the Supreme Court

-To interpret the Constitution

  • Unwritten Constitution – Definition

-Traditions and practices of American government

-But not stated in the Constitution

-Like the President’s Cabinet

  • George Washington’s Farewell Address

-Letter before leaving office

-Warned Against Sectionalism

-Warned Against Political Parties

-But mostly Warned Against Alliances

-“Steer clear of alliances”

-Neutrality or Isolationism

  • Antifederalists

-Feared a strong central government

-Opposed the new Constitution

-Wanted a Bill of Rights

  • Federalists

-Supported the new Constitution

-Wanted a stronger Federal Government

-Believed Separation of Powers and Checks and Balances would prevent abuse

  • Federalist Papers

-Written to encourage ratification of the Constitution

-Advocated a stronger central government

-Alexander Hamilton was one of the authors

  • Great Compromise

-A bicameral Congress

-A House of Representatives based on population

-A Senate with two senators per state

-A compromise between big and small states

  • Checks and Balances

-To limit the power of a branch of government

-Separation of powers allows each branch to check or limit the power of the other branches

  • John Locke’s Influence on the Declaration of Independence

-Natural Rights – Life, Liberty, Property

  • Consent of the Governed

-Citizens vote

-They give government its power

-It is through the permission of the voters that government has its power

  • Preamble to the United States Constitution

-“We the people…”

  • Bill of Rights

-Antifederalists wanted it added to the Constitution

-First Ten Amendments to the Constitution

-To protect individual rights and liberties

  • Trial of John Peter Zenger

-Freedom of the press

-Published an article critical of a colonial governor

-Printed facts

-Not guilty

  • Mercantilism

-Colonies exist for the benefit of the mother country

-Colonies only trade with the mother country

-Colonies only export raw materials

  • Great Plains

-Added by the Louisiana Purchase

-Great for farming and herding

-“Breadbasket of the nation”

  • Proclamation Line of 1763

-Appalachian Mountains were the dividing line

-Between colonists and Indians

-To avoid war

  • Louisiana Purchase

-Sold by France

-Included full control of Mississippi River, Port of New Orleans, and the Great Plains

-Jefferson hesitated

-Strict Constructionist but too good of a deal

-Encouraged Westward Expansion

  • New Orleans, Mississippi River, and Gulf of Mexico

-Through the Louisiana Purchase

  • Geography of the South

-Fertile Land

-Slavery and Plantations

  • Geography of New England

-Rocky soil

-Ports and harbor

-Shipbuilding

-Forests

  • Appalachian Mountains

-Eastern Mountain Range

-Dividing line between colonists on east and Indians on west

  • Virginia House of Burgesses

-Representative body in colonial Virginia

-Wealthy colonists voted

-For representatives

-Self-government

  • Mayflower Compact
    - Pilgrims signed on Mayflower

-Agreed all males would vote

-Make laws for new colony

-Self-government

  • Triangular Trade

-Africa to Americas to Europe to Americas

-Triangle in Atlantic

-Slave from Africa to Americas

-Raw materials to Europe from Americas

-Goods from Europe to buy slaves in Africa

  • Salutary Neglect

-British ignored colonies

-Problems elsewhere

-But making a profit

-Until French and Indian War

-Then abandoned salutary neglect and embraced mercantilism

  • “No Taxation without Representation”

-Colonists’ complaint

-Colonists could not vote for representatives in Parliament

-Therefore felt could not be taxed

  • Albany Plan of the Union (1754)

-Suggested by Benjamin Franklin

-Colonies should unite for common defense

-In French and Indian War

-Failed

-Not ready for union yet

  • Declaration of Independence

-Reasons for declaring independence

-Rights of the people

-Justification for Revolution

  • Stamp Act and Reasons for Protests

-Colonists hated

-Mother country taxing after French and Indian War

  • Electoral College

-Do not vote for President directly

-Vote for state’s electors

-Electors vote for president

-Thus, popular vote winner is not always the electoral college winner

  • British Government’s Use of Writs of Assistance

-Unreasonable searches and seizures

-Led to the Fourth Amendment

  • Articles of Confederation

-Weak central government

-But Northwest Ordinance success

  • Powers of the House of Representatives/Congress

[Part of Federal Government]

-To tax

-To declare war

  • Power to Impeach

-House of Representatives/Congress

  • Powers of the President

-Commander in Chief of the army

-Make treaties

  • Marbury v. Madison

-The Supreme Court can declare a law unconstitutional

  • Whiskey Rebellion

-Government taxed whiskey

-Farmers rebelled

-New Constitution government stopped rebellion

-Stronger central government