Foundational Documents
What 1215 document established that the king was not above the law?
Magna Carta
What principle says everyone, including government leaders, must obey the law?
Rule of Law
What British policy allowed the colonies considerable freedom to manage their own affairs?
Salutary Neglect
What document formally declared the colonies to be independent states?
Declaration of Independence
What was America's first national framework of government?
Articles of Confederation
What colonial assembly gave Virginia colonists experience with elected representatives?
House of Burgesses
What principle says government power must have limits?
Limited Government
What war ended in 1763 leaving Britain with significant debt and a larger empire to defend?
French and Indian War
In what year did the colonies formally declare independence?
1776
Under the Articles, which level of government held most power?
States
What 1620 document was based on settlers agreeing to govern themselves and follow their decisions?
Mayflower Compact
What type of government allows people to elect lawmakers to act for them?
Representative Government/ Republic
What law required colonies to provide housing and supplies for British troops?
Quartering Act
What three natural rights are specifically named in the Declaration?
Life, Liberty, pursuit of Happiness
How many votes did each state have in Congress under the Articles?
One
What 1689 document established more specific limits on the monarch and protections for rights?
English Bill of Rights
What principle says government authority comes from the agreement of the people?
Consent of the Governed
What protest involved colonists dumping British tea into Boston Harbor?
Boston Tea Party
According to the Declaration, the government gets its legitimate power from whose consent?
The governed / the people
How many states were needed to approve major congressional decisions?
9 of 13
What 1639 document created a written plan for government, the first in the American colonies.
Fundamental Orders of Connecticut
Which came first: Magna Carta or English Bill of Rights?
Magna Carta
Did armed fighting begin before or after the Declaration of Independence?
Before
According to the Declaration, what may people do when government breaks the social contract?
Alter or abolish it
What rebellion exposed the inability of the national government to respond effectively to a domestic crisis?
Shays' Rebellion