The American Revolution
Before independence, the United States was a colony of _________.
What is Britain?
The Bill of Rights refers to the first ten ___________ of the Constitution.
What are amendments?
The leader of the Executive Branch is ___________.
What is the president?
The main job of the Legislative Branch is to ___________.
What is make laws?
In court, lawyers use ______ to try to win their cases.
evidence
Americans fought and won their independence during the ___________ War.
What is the Revolutionary War?
Name at least 3 rights or freedoms guaranteed by the Bill of Rights.
Freedom of speech, press, religion, assembly, and petition (1st Amendment); the right to bear arms (2nd Amendment); protection against unreasonable searches and seizures (4th Amendment); the right to a fair trial, including the right to a jury, to confront witnesses, and to legal counsel (5th and 6th Amendments); and protection against cruel and unusual punishment (8th Amendment)
A president can _____ or _____ laws.
What is "sign or veto"?
The draft of a law is called a ______.
If there is a judge and a jury in a case, who makes the final decision (verdict)?
the jury
American colonists announced their separation from the British government with Declaration of Independence on ___________ (month, day, year).
When was July 4th, 1776?
When state laws and national laws disagree, _______ have more power, according to "supremacy clause" in Article VI of the Constitution.
What are national laws?
The president gets their power from __________.
What is the Constitution?
The two houses of Congress are the _________ and _____________________.
What are the Senate and House of Representatives?
What are the two types of cases?
criminal and civil cases
The "paradox of the American Revolution" refers to ____________________________.
What are the contradictions and hypocrisy of saying that "all men are created equal" during a time when slavery was legal and women and poor people did not have the same rights as rich white men.
Shays' Rebellion refers to _____________________, which showed some that the United States needed a stronger central government in order to prevent something this from happening again.
What was the violent uprising of farmers in Massachusetts against the government for high taxes and harsh economic conditions?
The president is the helped by _______, _______, and ____________. (Name at least 2.)
What are the vice president, the cabinet, and the 15 Executive Departments?
The number of Senators per state is _______ and the number of Representatives per state is ________.
What is 2 and determined by the state's population?
Most court cases start at _______ court. If you want another trial you can ______ to an _______ court.
trial court, appeal, appellate court
The Declaration of Independence says "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created ____, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are ____, ______ and the pursuit of _________."
What are "equal," "life," "liberty," and "happiness"?
The Constitution, written in 1787, created a new American government, which is still used today. This replaced the weaker central government created by the ______ of ___________.
What are the Articles of Confederation?
Name at least 3 presidential roles.
Commander in Chief, Chief Diplomat, Chief Executive, Head of State, Chief Legislative
The people who vote lawmakers into Congress are known as ___________.
What are constituents?
What is the power of "judicial review"?
Judicial review is the power of the Supreme Court to determine if government acts (by the president or Congress) are unconstitutional.