Road to the Constitution
July 4, 1776 this was adopted by the colonies, announcing that the United States was free from GB.
What is the Declaration of Independence?
These set up our government to be an alliance of independent states, NOT a united government institution of the people. (They failed due to their many weaknesses.)
What are the Articles of Confederation?
The 1787 Constitutional Convention was also held in _________________________________, specifically in the State House, or “Independence Hall” as we know it today. (city and state!)
What is Philadelphia, PA?
The Constitution splits power between these three branches of government.
What are Judicial, Legislative, and Executive Branches?
This HTHS principal surprised students and teachers last week when he announced his retirement after 30+ years at HT.
Who is Mr. O'Brien?
This 1765 act forced colonists to put expensive tax stamps on all legal documents, newspapers, calendars, and almanacs, enraging colonists.
What were the Stamp Acts?
Two of the many problems with the Articles of Confederation:
varied answers include:
- could not tax
- could not raise an army
- bunch of indep. states, not unified
- no strong central/federal gov't (no exec. or judicial branches)
- no enforcement of laws
- couldn't regulate trade
There were two major plans for the Constitution:
What are the Virginia Plan and the New Jersey Plan?
What are the Senate and House of Representatives?
New Jersey has two senators that represent us in the Senate. Name one.
Who are Cory Booker and Andy Kim?
This document from 1215 greatly inspired the Constitution, lending many ideas such as Trial by Jury, and limited power of the executive.
What is the Magna Carta?
He wrote the Declaration of Independence.
Who is Thomas Jefferson?
Many compromises were made in the Constitution, including this one that had to do with enslaved people. It was changed after the 13th and 14th Amendment abolished slavery and gave citizenship to African Americans.
What is the 3/5th Compromise?
This branch of government is led by the Supreme Court and its 9 justices.
What is the Judicial Branch?
A substitute teacher will be in for this teacher in May and June as she goes out on maternity leave.
Who is Ms. Burke?
This King of England used a “‘firm hand with the colonies” and ordered high taxes on the colonies to pay for the French and Indian War.
Who was King George III?
This 1786 event in Massachusetts showed how weak the Articles of Confederation really were.
What is Shays Rebellion?
This group was led by James Madison, John Jay, and Alexander Hamilton, wanted a strong central government (federal gov’t). They wanted to ratify the Constitution as it was written.
Who are Federalists?
Anti-Federalists did not want to ratify the Constitution until amendments were added that protected people's civil liberties. These first ten amendments that were added are known as:
What is the Bill of Rights?
This New Jersey University is named after the man who came up with the New Jersey Plan for the Constitution.
What is William Patterson?
The Declaratory Act, the Townshend Revenue Act, and the Quartering Acts were all examples of ________________________, acts that the colonists further enraged the colonists.
What were Intolerable Acts?
The unalienable rights that were established in the Declaration of Independence:
What are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness?
April 6, 1789: these TWO MEN were elected President of the United States and Vice President of the United States.
Who are George Washington and John Adams?
The United States Constitution currently has this many amendments.
What are 27 Amendments?
There are Six Big Ideas that shape our Constitution. List THREE of them.
- separation of powers
- Republicanism
- Federalism
- popular sovereignty
- checks and balances
- limited government