Terms to know: Early US History
· Presidents
o George Washington
o Thomas Jefferson
o Abraham Lincoln
· Founding Fathers
o Jonathan Trumball Sr.
o John Hancock
o Benjamin Rush
o John Jay
o John Witherspoon
o John Peter Muhlenberg
o Charles Carroll
· Legislation
o Declaration of Independence
o Articles of Confederation
o US Constitution
o Bill of Rights
o 13th Amendment
o 14th Amendment
o 15th Amendment
· Government
o Legislative Branch
o Executive Branch
o Judicial Branch
o Supreme Court
o House of Representatives
o Senate
o Federalism
o Limited Government
o Individual Rights
o Popular Sovereignty
o Republicanism
o Checks and Balances
o Separation of Powers
· Economy
o Laissez-faire
o No taxation without representation
· Literature/Art/Music
o Common Sense
o Federalist Papers
· Geography
o Underground Railroad
o The North
o The South
· Social Reform/Events/Movements
o Emancipation Proclamation
o Abolitionists
· War/Battles
o American Revolution
o French & Indian War
o Civil War
· People to Know
o Alexis de Tocqueville
o John Locke
· Vocabulary
o Secede
o Union
o Confederate
o Unalienable Rights
1. Causes of the American Revolution:
a. During the mid-1700s the British and French fought a war for control of North America.
i. The British won the “French and Indian War”, but it was at a high cost.
b. To help repay this debt, the British government placed taxes on the colonists, including the Stamp Act, the Tea Act, and the Townsend Act.
i. The colonists were not consulted by the British and they felt this violated their rights as English citizens
c. To show their displeasure with these Acts the colonists came up with the slogan of :
i. No Taxation Without Representation
d. By 1773 the colonists had begun protesting, they boycotted (refused to buy) British goods, some dressed as Indians and dumped tea off of a British ship.
i. Boston Tea Party
e. By 1775, the colonists and British soldiers exchanged shots at Lexington & Concord, the first battle of the American Revolution!
Pop-Up Questions:
1. Why would representation in the Parliament matter to Colonists?
2. How did Colonists show their displeasure over violations of their rights?
2. Supporters of the Revolution:
a. John Trumball Jr.
i. Governor of Connecticut during the war.
ii. Refused to join the British
iii. Supplied Washington’s troops with food, clothing, and weapons.
b. John Peter Muhlenberg
i. Minister who used his role in the church to recruit men for the colonial army.
ii. His group was called the Black Regiment, after the black robes he wore.
3. The American Revolution:
a. The Second Continental Congress selected George Washington as the Commander of the new Continental Army.
4. Americans Win the Revolution:
a. After winning the first battle at Lexington & Concord (1775), the American colonists lost many battles.
b. Things looked grim until
i. A surprise victory at Saratoga (1777)
ii. Brought the French into the war
c. Yorktown (1783), the Continental Army forced the British to surrender and the war was over.
d. 1783 =United States of America
5. Treaty of Paris:
a. John Jay:
i. Became U.S. minister to Spain, helping to broker the 1783 Treaty of Paris that ended the Revolutionary War
ii. Treaty created the Country “United States of America”
1. Removed British control of the Colonies
2. Granted the USA certain lands that used to belong to Great Britain
3. Appointed the Supreme Court’s first Chief Justice in 1789 and helped shape Court procedures and Constitutional law
Pop-Up Questions:
1. What made the American victory over Great Britain so unlikely and a surprise?
2. What was the main effect of the Treaty of Paris?
6. Influences on the Declaration:
a. John Locke
i. Influenced the writing of the Declaration of Independence with his idea of ‘unalienable rights’.
ii. Believed that government was supposed to protect an individuals’ unalienable or natural rights.
1. Locke stated these rights cannot be taken from you without due process.
7. The Declaration of Independence:
a. In 1776 the 2nd Continental Congress began discussing the idea of declaring independence from England.
b. Thomas Jefferson
i. Appointed to head a committee to draft a statement of independence from England.
c. July 4, 1776, the final draft was approved:
i. It explained why we should be free.
ii. It listed the grievances (complaints) we had with King George III and England’s Parliament.
iii. It declared our independence!
Pop-Up Questions:
1. Why was the idea of ‘unalienable rights’ so influential?
2. What was the Declaration of Independence?
8. Signers of the Declaration:
a. 56 men met in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to sign the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776.
i. These men acted courageously
ii. The act of signing the Declaration was treason and was punishable by hanging.
b. John Hancock
i. Made his signature so large the King of England could read it without his glasses.
ii. Hancock was the President of the Congress
iii. The first Declaration only carried Hancock’s signature when it was sent to the 13 Colonies.
1. Hancock’s name became 2nd only to Washington's as a symbol of freedom and independence.
c. Dr. Benjamin Rush
i. Known as the ‘Father of American Medicine’.
d. Charles Carroll
i. Wealthy businessman
ii. Supported Revolution with his own money
e. Dr. John Witherspoon
i. Church minister, supported independence, he was quoted as saying:
1. “America was not only ripe for independence, it was in danger of rotting for want of it.”
Pop-Up Questions:
1. What did many of the signers of the Declaration have in common?
9. Values of Democracy:
a. Alexis de Tocqueville
i. Sent to America by French government to study the American prison system.
ii. Wrote Democracy in America
1. Tried to identify how Americans were different from European society
2. Observed that Americans differed because of social equality and an overriding concern with money
b. Tocqueville had 5 values he found important to America’s success as a constitutional republic
c. Egalitarianism refers to equality in society.
i. Europe had been built around hereditary classes which separated the nobles from the middle class and the poor.
ii. In America everyone was socially equal, (except slaves, women and Native Americans)
iii. The availability of land and ability for anyone to own it (unheard of in Europe).
d. Populism: participation of the common people in government.
i. In American society all people had the right to take part in their government.
e. Liberty: protection from a tyrannical (all powerful) government.
i. Americans were devoted to ‘rule of law’ and the ‘federal system’ preventing an over-powerful government.
f. Individualism: The people to decide what type of groups or organizations they wished to be part of.
i. Individuals were free to associated with everyone no matter social class
g. Laissez-Faire: ‘hands off’ approach by the government to our economy.
i. The individual was the best judge of their own economic interests, not the government.
Pop-Up Questions:
1. How are Tocqueville's values of Democracy reflected in American society?
10. The Constitution:
a. Constitutional Republic: A form of Government where officials are elected by the people and they must govern according to the laws of its constitution.
b. The U.S. Constitution turns the goals stated in the Declaration into a concrete system of government.
c. Because it can be changed, we call it a “LIVING DOCUMENT”
d. Constitution was NOT THE FIRST!!
i. Originally the colonies were ruled by a ‘loose’ agreement called the Articles of Confederation.
1. Failed: it gave too much power to the state governments and not enough to the federal government.
e. 1787 Continental Congress:
i. wrote U.S. Constitution
ii. Established the basic structure of our government.
iii. Created a government in which the people hold the power, they elect their own representatives (as shown in the first three words….We the People)
Pop-Up Questions:
1. What is a Constitutional Republic?
2. What was the problem with the Articles of the Confederation?
3. What is the purpose of the Constitution?
f. The Constitution is divided into 3 parts.
i. The Preamble (introduction)
1. explains goals of Constitution.
2. starts with “We the People…”
ii. The Articles
1. Seven Articles establish the different parts of government and the power and responsibilities of each branch.
iii. The Amendments
1. The changes that have been made are called Amendments
2. All changes to the Constitution are called amendments
3. First Ten Amendments: ‘Bill of Rights’
4. 17 Amendments have been added over last 200+ years for a total of 27 Amendments
11. The Constitution set up our government with 3 equal branches.
a. Legislative – Executive – Judicial
b. Legislative Branch
i. Legislature (Congress) was established under Article I
ii. Congressmen are elected by the people of the USA
iii. Create our laws
iv. Raise or lower our taxes
v. Declare war
vi. Senate
1. 2 Senators for each state, 100 total
vii. House of Representatives
viii. based on a states population, 435 Representatives total
c. Executive – the office of President was established under Article II
i. Commander of the Military
ii. Signs bills into law
iii. Appoints Supreme Court judges
d. Judicial – Supreme Court was established under Article III
i. “Marbury v Madison” gave Supreme Court the power of Judicial Review, to determine if a law follows the Constitution.
ii. Lower courts across the USA
iii. 9 Justices on the Supreme Court
Pop-Up Questions:
1. What is the job if the legislative branch?
2. How are the Senate and House formed?
3. What is the purpose of the Supreme Court?
12. The Bill of Rights:
a. 1st Amendment
i. Freedom of Religion
1. Freedom to worship (or not) without government getting involved
ii. Freedom of Speech
1. Protects our freedom to say or write most things.
2. You cannot be jailed for criticizing your government
iii. Freedom of the Press
1. Newspapers, radio, television, or the internet can write or publish what they want, without fear of punishment.
2. People need a free press in a democracy to be informed voters!
iv. Freedom of Assembly
1. The right to peacefully assemble together
v. Freedom to Petition
1. You have the right to write to government officials about laws and complaints.
b. 2nd - Right to Bear Arms
i. People have a right to ‘bear arms’.
ii. Necessary for the protection of the state
c. 3rd - Prohibits Quartering of Soldiers
i. During Revolution the King placed troops in homes of civilians at the homeowners expense.
ii. This prevents the government from placing soldiers in a civilian’s home.
d. The 4th, 5th, 6th and 8th Amendments prohibits government officials from taking away a person’s life, liberty or property without following certain fair and reasonable procedures.
e. 4th – No Unreasonable Searches
i. Colonists were smuggling products so as not to pay the British taxes
ii. British government officials would randomly search a colonists property looking for smuggled goods.
iii. Now a judge has to sign a ‘search warrant’ before your property can be legally searched
f. 5th - A person cannot be deprived of life, liberty, or property without “due process of law”. Certain legal procedures must be carried out before a person can be punished.
i. Eminent Domain gives government the right to take private property for public use, but they must give you fair compensation (payment) for the property.
ii. Double Jeopardy cannot be tried for the same crime twice.
iii. Grand Jury is required to issue an indictment before you can be tried for a serious crime.
iv. Self-Incrimination cannot be forced to testify against yourself.
1. Supreme Court ruling of Miranda v. Arizona says you must be informed of your rights or what you say cannot be used.
g. 6th Fair and Impartial Trial
i. Must be told of charges against them
ii. Right to a trial by jury and be represented by a lawyer
h. 8th No Cruel or Unusual Punishment
i. No high bail
ii. Punishment must fit the crime
iii. No cruel punishments and no torture
i. 9th & 10th Amendments
i. Attempt to limit the powers of the government
j. 9th Amendment
i. Just because the Constitution doesn’t list a right doesn’t mean we don’t have it.
ii. the people have all rights not specifically given to the government.
k. 10th Amendment
i. The federal government has only those powers specifically given to it in the Constitution.
ii. All other powers are reserved for the states or the people!
Pop-Up Questions:
1. What is the purpose of the Bill of Rights?
2. How do the Bill of Rights grant freedom and liberty to Americans?
3. Out of the 5 freedoms of the 1st Amendment, which do you believe is the most important and why?
13. Principles of the Constitution:
a. Federalism – power is divided between the national government and the states.
i. Some powers for the national government, some only for the states and some are shared
b. Limited Government – powers are limited by the Constitution.
i. King John signed Magna Carta in 1215 limiting the powers of the ruler.
c. Individual Rights– Bill of Rights lists specific liberties (freedoms) to ensure that all US citizens have protected rights.
d. Popular Sovereignty – the people hold the power and give the government its power. We consent to be governed.
e. Republicanism- The Constitution requires that political leaders must be elected on a regular basis.
i. This is called: Representative Democracy.
f. Checks and Balances – prevents any one branch from becoming too powerful, each branch can stop or ‘check’ the other two.
g. Separation of Powers – federal government is divided into three separate branches.
Pop-Up Questions:
1. How are the Principles reflected in the Constitution?
2. How are the Values of Democracy reflected in the Principles?
3. Which Principle do you believe is the most important and why?