Vocab
What is a monarchy?
Rule by a king or queen
What day was the Declaration of Independence adopted?
July 4, 1776
Who wrote the Declaration of Independence?
Thomas Jefferson
What was John Locke known for?
Natural rights and social contract
What is Montesquieu most known for?
Separation of powers
What is tax?
Money paid by citizens to the government for services (road repair, libraries, etc.). Governments raise taxes when they need more money.
What is the introduction to the Declaration of Independence called?
What were the three natural rights listed in the Declaration of Independence?
Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness
What are natural rights? What makes them "natural"?
life, liberty, property
you are born with them
What is separation of powers?
3 branches of government
What is an absolute monarchy
When the king or queen has total power
What did Thomas Paine’s Common Sense influence Americans to do?
Get your “common sense” and realize we must declare independence from England.
Read the quote:
“He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures….”
This quote is an example of a _______________ in the Declaration of Independence.
Grievance
What is the social contract?
An agreement between the government and the people
The people give up some small freedoms in exchange for protection from the government
What are the three branches of government and what do they do?
Legislative - makes laws
Executive - executes/enforces laws
Judicial - interprets laws
What are grievances?
Complaints
What was the Stamp Act? What was the colonists’ reaction to it?
An extra tax on all paper goods.
In response to the debts from the French and Indian War. The colonists were angry about paying more money.
Which document addressed colonial concerns about English policies?
The Declaration of Independence
What happens if the social contract is broken? What do the people have the right to do?
If the government fails to uphold the social contract, the people must overthrow it and make a new government.
What are checks and balances?
A system that allows each branch of government to stop the actions of another branch, preventing any one branch from becoming too powerful.
What was the Enlightenment?
A historic period in Europe during the 1700s, also called the "Age of Reason". During this time, they encouraged people to use logic, science, and independent thinking to solve problems and understand the world.
What led to the writing of the Declaration of Independence?
Taxation without representation (Stamp Act, Tea Act, etc.)
Broke the social contract and did not protect citizens’ rights
Didn’t listen to the colonists’ complaints.
It is the government's role to _________________________ natural rights.
Protect
What document did John Locke influence?
The Declaration of Independence
What document did Montesquieu influence?
The U.S. Constitution