Political Control
This British law, issued after the French and Indian War, forbade colonists from settling west of the Appalachian Mountains in order to avoid conflict with Native Americans.
What is the Proclamation of 1763?
This document officially declared the American colonies’ independence from Britain on July 4, 1776.
What is the Declaration of Independence?
This was the first written plan of government for the United States, created during the Revolutionary War.
What are the Articles of Confederation?
Delegates argued over whether enslaved people should count toward a state’s population for representation and taxes. They reached this compromise, counting each enslaved person as part of a person.
What was the Three-Fifths Compromise?
As the first president, he set many important examples, including creating a Cabinet, serving only two terms, and staying neutral in foreign conflicts.
Who is George Washington?
Passed by Parliament in 1765, this law required colonists to pay a tax on paper goods such as newspapers, legal documents, and playing cards, angering many who claimed “no taxation without representation.”
What is the Stamp Act?
During and after the Revolution, this group saw both hope and disappointment... some gained freedom by fighting for the British or the Patriots, while others remained enslaved despite the new nation’s talk of liberty.
Who were African Americans?
This key weakness of the Articles made it impossible for Congress to raise money to pay off war debts or fund the army.
What is the inability to collect taxes?
Some feared a single strong leader would become a tyrant, while others wanted a powerful executive. The delegates compromised by creating this position with limited powers and checks from Congress and the courts.
What is the presidency?
In this 1819 case, the Supreme Court ruled that states could not tax the national bank, strengthening federal power and confirming that Congress had implied powers under the Constitution.
What is McCulloch v. Maryland?
First passed in 1765, this law required colonists to provide British soldiers with housing, food, and supplies — even if it meant using their own homes or inns.
What is the Quartering Act?
During the Revolution, members of this group managed farms and businesses, made supplies for soldiers, and even served as spies or messengers — expanding their roles in society while men were at war.
Who were women?
Under the Articles, each state kept most of its power and independence, showing that Americans feared this type of strong authority.
What is a strong central government? (KING)
This part of the Constitution states that federal laws are the “supreme law of the land,” meaning they have higher authority than state laws when the two conflict.
What is the Supremacy Clause?
This 1803 Supreme Court case established the power of the Court to declare laws unconstitutional, giving the judiciary equal power with the other branches.
What is Marbury v. Madison?
In 1770, this violent confrontation between British soldiers and colonists in Boston left five colonists dead and was used by patriots like Paul Revere as propaganda against British rule.
What is the Boston Massacre?
During the Revolution, many from this group sided with the British to protect their lands, but after the war, they lost territory as American settlers moved westward despite earlier promises.
Who were Native Americans?
Under the Articles of Confederation, there was no president or national court system... only this branch of government, made up of representatives from the states.
What is the legislative branch (Congress)?
When the Constitution was finished, two groups emerged — Federalists, who supported it, and Anti-Federalists, who demanded this addition to protect individual rights before agreeing to ratify.
What is the Bill of Rights?
This 1824 case decided that only the federal government could regulate trade between states, expanding federal control over the economy.
What is Gibbons v. Ogden?
Passed in 1774 to punish Massachusetts after the Boston Tea Party, these laws closed Boston Harbor, limited town meetings, and allowed British soldiers to be housed in colonists’ homes.
What are the Coercive Acts (or Intolerable Acts)?
This major event inspired democratic movements around the world, led to the creation of the U.S. Constitution, and encouraged ideas of liberty, equality, and self-government that continue to shape nations today.
What are the long-term effects of the American Revolution?
The problems under the Articles of Confederation led delegates to meet in this 1787 gathering to write a new Constitution.
What is the Constitutional Convention?
At the Constitutional Convention, large states supported the Virginia Plan and small states backed the New Jersey Plan. The disagreement was settled by this plan, also called the Great Compromise, which created a two-house Congress... one based on population and one with equal representation for each state.
What is the Connecticut Plan (the Great Compromise)?
During the debate over ratifying the Constitution, this group supported a strong national government, while their opponents feared tyranny and demanded a Bill of Rights to protect individual freedoms.
Who were the Federalists and Anti-Federalists?