Colonial Life
These three major regions made up the English colonies in North America and developed different economies based on their geography and natural resources
What are New England, Middle Colonies, and Southern Colonies
This war ended in 1763, leaving Britain with a large debt and led to Britain's decision to tax the American colonies
What is the French and Indian War
Adopted on July 4, 1776, this document declared that the American colonies considered themselves independent from Great Britain
What is the Declaration of Independence
Delegates met in Philadelphia in 1787 to address the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation and develop this document
What is the U.S. Constitution
This Revolutionary War commander became the first president of the United States in 1789
Who is George Washington
Established in Virginia in 1619, this was the first representative government in the English colonies in North America
What is the House of Burgesses
This 1765 act taxed printed materials such as newspapers and playing cards, leading to widespread colonial protests
What is the Stamp Act
This Enlightenment philosopher argued that people possess natural rights, including life, liberty, and property, and that governments exist to protect them
Who is John Locke
These three branches make up the federal government under the U.S. Constitution
-Legislative
- Executive
- Judicial
In 1803, President Thomas Jefferson purchased this vast territory from France, doubling the size of the United States
What is the Louisiana Territory
Signed in 1620 by Pilgrims traveling to North America, this agreement established a system of self-government based on the consent of the governed
What is the Mayflower Compact
During this 1773 protest, colonists boarded ships in the Boston Harbor and dumped tea into the water to protest British policies
What is the Boston Tea Party
This was the first form of government for the United States, creating a weak central government with limited powers
What are the Articles of Confederation
This agreement created a bicameral legislature, with representation based on population in one chamber and equal representation for each state in the other
What is the Great Compromise
George Washington created this group of executive department leaders to advise him on important national issues
What is the presidential Cabinet
In this mindset Britain loosely enforced many trade regulations and allowed its colonies certain freedoms
What is Salutary Neglect
This phrase showed the colonists' argument that British Parliament should not tax them when they had no elected representatives in Parliament
What is "No taxation without representation"
This 1786–1787 rebellion by Massachusetts farmers exposed weaknesses in the national government and showed the weakness of the Articles of Confederation
What is Shays' Rebellion
This group opposed ratification of the Constitution without adding the Bill of Rights
Who are the Anti-Federalists
This foreign policy declaration warned European powers against further colonization or interference in the independent nations of the Western Hemisphere
What is the Monroe Doctrine
This economic policy encouraged colonies to supply raw materials to the mother country and purchase British manufactured goods
What is Mercantilism
Explain how the French and Indian War contributed to the growing conflict between Great Britain and its American colonies
- Britain's war debt
-Attempts to tax and control the colonies
-Growing colonial resistance to taxation without representation
Identify a weakness of the Articles of Confederation and explain how it contributed to calls for a new national government.
- National government's inability to tax directly
-Enforce its decisions
- Regulate interstate commerce
Explain how checks and balances prevent any one branch of the federal government from becoming too powerful. Give one specific example
- The president can veto legislation
- Congress can override a presidential veto
Judiciary can review a law to see if it is constitutional or not
Passed under President Thomas Jefferson, this law didn't allow American ships from trading wih foreign countries in an attempt to protect American neutrality
What is the Embargo Act of 1807