Magna Carta
This 1215 document (Magna Carta) limited the power of ______ ________ and influenced America’s Constitution by promoting the idea that leaders must obey the law.
Who is the King or King John?
This 1620 agreement (Mayflower Compact) was signed aboard the Mayflower and is considered the __________ governing document of Plymouth Colony.
What is the first?
This ______ document (English Bill of Rights) limited the power of the monarchy and was signed after the Glorious Revolution.
What is 1689?
Paine called government this, meaning it’s necessary to keep people safe, but must serve the people—not king and nobles.
What is a "necessary evil"?
Locke (1632–1704) was an English philosopher and physician, often hailed as the “father of liberalism.” His work in political philosophy—especially his ideas on the social contract and natural rights—had a profound influence on ____________________ thought and, subsequently, on the Founding Fathers.
What is Enlightenment?
The Magna Carta introduced this concept, meaning that everyone, including leaders, must follow the law.
What is the rule of law?
The Mayflower Compact established this principle, meaning that the settlers agreed to create and obey laws for the general good of the colony.
What is self-government?
This protection against “excessive bail,” “excessive fines,” and “_______ ___ __________ ___________” in the 1689 English Bill of Rights is mirrored in the 8th amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
What is "cruel and unusual punishments".
In Common Sense, Paine argued that government exists to serve the people and should be based on this principle, later incorporated into the U.S. Constitution.
What is “consent of the governed”?
Baron de Montesquieu (1689–1755), was a French judge, historian, and political philosopher. He is best known for his seminal work The Spirit of the Laws (1748), where he developed the theory of ___________ ___ _________, a concept foundational to modern democratic governance.
What is separation of powers?
This idea from the Magna Carta influenced America’s Constitution by guaranteeing protection against unfair punishment and ensuring a fair trial.
What are due process and trial by jury?
This concept from the Mayflower Compact influenced the U.S. Constitution by promoting the idea that government derives its authority from the people.
What is consent of the governed?
The 1689 English Bill of Rights limited the monarch’s power by forbidding taxation or maintaining a peacetime army without Parliament’s approval—echoing which revolutionary American slogan?
What is “no taxation without representation”?
Paine challenged the idea of inherited rule in Common Sense, asserting all men are equal and must govern themselves—this core belief influenced which foundational American document’s opening lines about “unalienable rights”?
What is the Declaration of Independence?
This centuries-old English document limited the power of kings and influenced the U.S. constitutional idea that leaders must obey the law and cannot rule arbitrarily.
What is the Magna Carta (1215)?
The Magna Carta helped inspire the American system of government by promoting this principle, which divides power among different branches or levels.
What is separation of powers or limited government?
The Mayflower Compact was signed by 41 male passengers aboard the Mayflower. This act is an early example of this democratic principle.
What is representative democracy?
This legal guarantee in the English Bill of Rights laid the groundwork for what principle in the U.S. judicial system?
What is the right to a jury trial?
Common Sense rejected monarchy and support for a distant king, insisting that a continent should not be governed by an island—which concept helped shape America’s preference for this form of government?
What is republicanism (or representative democracy)?
This philosopher argued that dividing government into legislative, executive, and judicial branches prevents any one group or person from becoming too powerful—a principle followed in the U.S. Constitution.
Who is Baron de Montesquieu?
This colonial document, influenced by the Magna Carta, was one of the first to establish self-government and individual rights in America.
What is the Mayflower Compact?
This future U.S. president highlighted the importance of the Mayflower Compact in 1802, calling it "perhaps the only instance, in human history, of that positive, original social compact."
Who is John Quincy Adams?
The English Bill of Rights declared that the monarch could not impose taxes or maintain a peacetime army without this group’s approval—a concept later reflected in the U.S. Constitution.
What is the consent of Parliament (representing “no taxation without representation”)?
This Pennsylvania-born pamphlet (Common Sense) became America’s first bestseller—selling hundreds of thousands of copies rapidly—playing a major role in uniting colonists toward ____________________.
What is independence?
This 17th-century thinker promoted the idea that government must have the permission of its people, and that if it fails to protect their natural rights, the people can replace it.
Who is John Locke?