British Policies & Colonial Responses
Colonists used this phrase to protest being taxed without having representatives in Parliament
No Taxation Without Representation
According to the Declaration of Independence, these are the three natural rights
Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness
This was the first government of the United States
Articles of Confederation
This group supported ratification of the Constitution
Federalist
This principle divides power among the legislative, executive, and judicial branches
Separation of Powers
This British law taxed printed materials such as newspapers and legal documents
Stamp Act
The Declaration states government gets its power from this principle
Consent of the Governed
Under this system, most governmental power belongs to the states
confederal system
This group worried that the national government would threaten individual rights
Anti-Federalist
This principle allows each branch to limit the powers of the other branches
Checks and Balances
Colonists dumped tea into Boston Harbor to protest this British law
Tea Act
The main purpose of government according to the Declaration of Independence
protecting the rights of the people
Under the Articles, Congress did not have the power to do this, making it difficult to raise money
collect taxes
This document was added to protect individual liberties and satisfy Anti-Federalist concerns
Bill of Rights
This constitutional protection guarantees a fair trial before life, liberty, or property can be taken away
Due Process
These laws punished colonists after the Boston Tea Party
Intolerable Acts
This term means "obvious to all.
self-evident
This event convinced many Americans that the Articles of Confederation were too weak
Shays' Rebellion
This is the formal approval process used to adopt the Constitution
ratification
In Congress, both the House and Senate must do this before a bill can become law.
approve the bill
These complaints against Britain were listed in the Declaration of Independence
grievances
The natural right most clearly violated when colonists were taxed without their consent
right to property
The Constitution fixed one weakness of the Articles by giving Congress the power to do this
tax citizens
Federalists argued that liberty would be protected because power would be separated among branches and shared between these two levels of government.
national and state governments
James Madison argued that checks and balances were designed to accomplish this.
limit the powers of government