American Government
Chapter 2 Study Guide
Terms
1. bicameral – means 2 houses (Congress has House of Reps. and Senate)
2. ratification – to approve – all 13 states had to approve of the Articles of Confederation and to any changes to it
People
1. John Hancock – his was the largest signature on the Declaration of Independence
2. Thomas Paine – wrote “Common Sense” which encouraged revolution
3. Benjamin Franklin – was very old at this time in history, but still widely respected because he was very wise and had a lot of experience
4. James Patterson – wrote the New Jersey Plan, it was a unicameral legislature, all the states had one vote no matter how big or small it was
5. John Locke – English political philosopher, said “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness”
Concepts
1. 2nd Continental Congress – after this meeting we went to war with Great Britain
2. Committees of Correspondence – kept the colonies informed before, during, and after the war
3. Articles of Confederation – our first attempt at a government after the war – very weak
4. What principles were the state constitutions based on? limited government, separation of powers, self-government, and individual rights
5. Explain the Great Compromise
Proposed by Robert Sherman of Connecticut
bicameral legislature (House and Senate)
In the House of Reps, states receive representation based on population
In the Senate, all states receive 2 senators regardless of pop.
6. What was the three-fifths Compromise? an agreement between the North and the South that counted 5 blacks as 3 people. This counted toward representation in Congress.
7. Where was the term “demagogues” used and what was meant by it?
- Thomas Jefferson used the term
- he was referring to the participants of the meeting in Philadelphia in 1787
- he didn’t attend the meeting
- he was worried that the participants would make a government that was too powerful and that they would give themselves take advantage of the power like the King of England did
8. Why did the delegates take a vow of secrecy in 1787?
- they were revising the Articles of Confederation
- they didn’t have the authority to make a new government, but that’s what they were doing
- they were afraid if people found out, that the states would cancel the meeting and the Articles of Confederation (which weren’t working) would continue on
9. Intolerable Acts – the taxes (on sugar, tea, and stamps) and other laws passed by the Parliament in England - they targeted the colonies in order to hurt them. Drove colonists to seek independence.
10. proprietary colony – PA is an example, the colony was “owned” by a proprieter (owner) who set up government, but all government activities needed the King’s approval (this was before our independence)
11. Magna Carta – Great (Magnificent) Charter – 1215 – the first document of democracy in the new world
12. Articles of Confederation –
- original government of the US
- created after the revolution
- weak central government that had no executive or judicial branches
- legislative branches was unicameral – could pass laws, but couldn’t really enforce them
- states had the most power
13. HMS Gaspee – British revenue ship that was sunk off the coast of New England before the Rev. War – was it an accident or an act of violence????
14. Sons of Liberty – pre-revolution group (Britain thought them to be like terrorists), they were known for violence – Boston Tea Party, HMS Gaspee???, arsons, etc
15. Space-Time-Need
Space
- colonies were a sanctuary for those who had problems in Europe
- separated by 400 miles of ocean from Europe
Time
- Americans had time to develop their own identity
- lost contact with the old ways of Europe – developed their own ways
- blended cultures – no longer loyal to Great Britain
Need
- developed self-government apart from Great Britain
- had problems that needed fixed – we acted before Great Britain helped
- we didn’t need Great Britain to solve our problems – we could take care of ourselves
16. Road to Rebellion
Peaceful
- grumbling/dissatisfaction – unorganized
- groups form – begin to organize
- committees of correspondence -= write to inform others of what is happening
Violent
- spontaneous, unorganized acts of violence – usually small
- mob action/unorganized – more violent – arson, tar and feather, Boston Massacre
- Sons of Liberty – organized – Boston Tea Party and HMS Gaspee
Opposition
- people trying to remain tied to Great Britain
- writing letters to Parliament and King
- personal trips to British government
- 1st and 2nd continental congresses – organized act to officially find a peaceful answer
- Declaration of Independence was written
17. Problems with the Articles of confederation
- no executive or judicial branch
- Congress could pass laws and ask for taxes, but had no power
- states too powerful
- couldn’t pay off our debts
- different currencies – no official money
- economic depression
- foreclosures
- Shay’s Rebellion in 1785