Founding Documents
This 1776 document, authored by Thomas Jefferson, asserts that all men are created equal and endowed with unalienable rights.
What is the Declaration of Independence?
According to the Declaration of Independence, life, liberty, and this are considered unalienable rights.
What is the pursuit of happiness?
The signing of this document on July 4, 1776, marked the American colonies’ formal break from Great Britain.
What is the Declaration of Independence?
The Declaration of Independence claims that people have the right to do this if the government becomes destructive of unalienable rights.
What is "alter or abolish it"?
This term refers to the introduction of the U.S. Constitution, which begins with “We the People...”
What is the Preamble?
This collection of essays written by Hamilton, Madison, and Jay advocated for the ratification of the U.S. Constitution.
What are the Federalist Papers?
The philosophy of natural rights, which influenced the American Revolution, was largely shaped by this English Enlightenment thinker.
Who is John Locke?
This 1783 treaty officially ended the American Revolutionary War and recognized U.S. independence from Britain.
What is the Treaty of Paris?
This principle of government, based on Enlightenment ideas, holds that political authority comes from the people.
What is popular sovereignty?
This Federalist Paper, written by James Madison, argues for a large republic to prevent factions from seizing control of the government.
What is Federalist No. 10?
The first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution, which guarantee individual rights, are collectively known as this.
What is the Bill of Rights?
Unalienable rights are said to be endowed by this source, according to the Declaration of Independence.
What is the Creator?
This 1775 battle, often called the first of the American Revolution, took place in Massachusetts.
What is the Battle of Lexington and Concord?
The U.S. system of government divides power between national and state governments, a concept known as this.
What is federalism?
This section of the Declaration of Independence lists the grievances against King George III that justified the colonies' separation.
What is the List of Grievances?
This document, drafted in 1787, established the framework for the federal government of the United States.
What is the U.S. Constitution?
This phrase from the Declaration of Independence indicates that governments derive their powers from the consent of the governed.
What is "deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed"?
This 1787 meeting in Philadelphia led to the drafting of the current U.S. Constitution.
What is the Constitutional Convention?
This Enlightenment thinker advocated for the separation of powers, a key influence on the U.S. Constitution’s structure.
Who is Montesquieu?
In Federalist No. 51, James Madison discusses the importance of this system to ensure that no one branch of government becomes too powerful.
What are checks and balances?
This Virginia-born Founding Father is often called the "Father of the Constitution" for his pivotal role in drafting and promoting it.
Who is James Madison?
The concept of natural rights is closely associated with the Enlightenment and this work by John Locke, which outlines the social contract.
What is the Two Treatises of Government?
This 1777-1781 plan served as the first constitution of the United States before being replaced by the current Constitution.
What are the Articles of Confederation?
This principle, important to the founding of the U.S., emphasizes that government power should be limited to protect individual rights.
What is limited government?
This Constitutional clause, often cited in modern debates over state versus federal power, declares that federal law is the "supreme law of the land."
What is the Supremacy Clause?