Download HW #1 Study Guide: Colonialism to Constitution

Name:________________________________________________
US History and Government
Ventriglia
Regents Review HW #1
Constitutional Foundations of American Society
HISTORICAL FOUNDATIONS OF REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT
*Democracy:
European Philosophers of the Enlightenment:
During the Age of Enlightenment (1600’s-1700’s), the leading thinkers in western Europe thought that
society should be ruled by natural laws rather than the divine right of absolute monarchs:
 John Locke (1632-1704): Natural Rights

Baron Montesquieu (1689-1755): Separation of Powers

Voltaire (1694-1778):

Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778):
Key English Limitations on Government:
 Magna Carta, 1215:

Parliament, 1295:

Glorious Revolution, 1688:
People in the American Colonies:
 NATIVE AMERICANS:
o Harsh treatment and European diseases killed off large number of Native Americans
o British Contact occurred in Jamestown Virginia in the 1600’s
o Many colonists starved to death during the first 20 years but some survived from the corn
provided by the Native Americans
o John Rolfe; helped improve conditions in Jamestown by exporting tobacco- SINGLE
HANDEDLY SAVED THE NEW COLONY!!
o Native Americans engaged in battle with colonists over land and power many Native
Americans died in battle and because of disease
 FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR (1756-1763):
o Great Britain v. France over control of North America
o British victory gained them control of much of North America including Canada
o This victory allowed for the British to maintain even more control and power over the colonies
 AFRICAN SLAVES:
o Africans taken to the American colonies against their will from as early as the 1500’s as
replacements for Native Americans who had died from disease and overwork
o First slaves arrived in Jamestown Virginia in 1619; this continued until the 1800’s
COLONIAL EXPERIENCE
Charters and Self-Government
 House of Burgesses/Mayflower Compact:

Albany Plan of Union:
Benjamin Franklin, 1750
What is this promoting?
Business and Property Laws:
Colonial land was privately owned and purchased through legally binding contracts. Indentured
servants were expected to serve their full terms. The monarch gave exclusive rights to trade in specific areas of
the colonies. People invested in these businesses in hopes of making a profit.
Under a system called ________________, colonies were expected to produce only what England
needed and to buy everything they needed from England. England did not enforce this policy until the 1760’s.

Salutary neglect:
Slavery:
 The South:
o African culture with “call and response,” wood carvings, folk medicines, and charms, animism
combined with Christianity, African names, slave houses modeled after West African houses,
pottery
o Between the end of the American Revolution in 1783 and 1800, slavery ended in the North, at
the same time it expanded in the south because of the cotton crop which became more
profitable by the invention of the cotton gin in 1793:
Practice Questions
1. In the Colonial Era, developments such as the New England town meetings and the establishment of
the Virginia House of Burgesses represented
a. Colonial attempts to build a strong national government
b. Efforts by the British to strengthen their control over the colonies
c. Steps in growth of a representative government
d. Early social reform movements
2. There are two points of view to every story. In regards to the exploration of the Americas, the
motivation of the Conquistadors was coined __________ by historians, while the effects of these
motivations were interpreted as ________________ by Native Americans.
a. Death, Weapons, and God – Gold, Glory, and Christianity
b. Gold, Glory, and Resources – Guns, Germs, and Steel
c. Gold, God, and Glory – Guns, Germs, and Steel
d. Gold, God, and Glory – Guns, Christianity, and Steel
3. Under Mercantilism, the thirteen colonies were expected to supply the mother country with
a. Finished manufactured goods
b. Raw materials and markets for British manufactured goods
c. Officials to represent colonial interest in Parliament
d. Laborers to work in the southern colonies
4. The Albany Plan of the Union was Ben Franklins idea to
a. Unify the States
b. Boycott English imports
c. Form a representative body of government
d. Declare war on Britain
5. The Albany Plan of the Union was Ben Franklins idea to
a. Unify the States
b. Boycott English imports
c. Form a representative body of government
d. Declare war on Britain
6. Which feature must a nation have to be considered a democracy?
(1) a strong president
(2) citizen participation in government
(3) elected judges to conduct trials
(4) a set of laws
7. Because of fertile land and a long growing season, plantations in the thirteen colonies developed in
(1) New England
(2) the Middle Atlantic region
(3) the South
(4) the upper Mississippi River valley
8. During the early to mid-1700s, the British policy of salutary neglect toward the American colonies
contributed to
(1) a decline in colonial manufacturing
(2) the decline of slavery in the northern colonies
(3) a decrease in French and Spanish influence in North America
(4) the development of independent colonial trade practices
AMERICAN REVOLUTION
Great Britain won the French and Indian War and gained control of French Canada. This victory soon led to
the 13 American colonies to revolt against Britain.
Causes
 Change in colonial policy:
o Taxation – i.e. Stamp Tax, Quartering Act

Closing of the Frontier:
o Proclamation of 1763

Resistance to British Taxation:
o Boston Tea Party

British Retaliation:
o Intolerable Acts

First Battles: Lexington and Concord *Turning Point*
The Road to Independence
 Thomas Paine & Common Sense

Influence of the Enlightenment thinkers
Declaration of Independence:
Drawing on the theories of John Locke and natural rights, Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of
Independence:
Part 1: General Arguments for Independence
The governments must be:
(1)
representative of the people
(2)
limited in power by a recognition of basic human rights; if any government violates
people’s NATURAL RIGHTS (life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness) then the
people have the right to “alter or abolish” that government
Part 2: Grievances against the British king
British king continued to violate colonists’ rights by:
(1)
dissolving colonial assemblies
(2)
stationing British troops in the colonies
(3)
“imposing taxes without [the colonists’] consent
Part 3: Continuing Importance of the Declaration:
People in many nations have used the Declaration of Independence to justify their own
struggles against oppressive governments. Since it states that all men are created equal, the
Declaration served as an important document in the fight to end slavery in the United States.
War for Independence:
 Washington’s army suffered many defeats
 By end of 1776 British troops had control of Boston and NY
 1777: Colonist capital of Philadelphia fell to the British
 Christmas Night 1776: Washington launched a successful surprise attack in NJ
 Continental Army survived the harsh winters at Valley Forge 1777-1778
 1783: American and British delegates in Paris signed a peace treaty ending the war
 G. Britain recognized the US as an independent nation which western border was the Mississippi River
 5000 free and enslaved African Americans fought against Britain in the Revolutionary War; open
promises were made by both the Americans and British that they would gain their independence if
they fought on their side
Practice Questions
1. According to the Declaration of Independence, the people have the right to alter or abolish a
government if that government
a. Is a limited monarchy
b. Violates natural rights
c. Favors one religion over another
d. Becomes involved in harsh alliances
2. Which group had the most influence in the ideas stated in the Declaration of Independence?
a. Political leaders of Spain and Portugal
b. Writers of the Renaissance
c. The thinkers of the Enlightenment
d. King of England
3. The pamphlet Common Sense by Thomas Paine, aided the Colonial cause in the Revolutionary War
because it
a. Convinced France to fight against England
b. Repealed the Intolerable Acts
c. Persuaded people to join the war effort
d. Influenced the Boston Tea Party
4. Which act passed by Parliament showed a British interest in establishing good relation with Native
American after the French and Indian War?
a. The Intolerable Acts
b. Quartering Act
c. Sugar Act
d. The Proclamation of 1763
5. The Sons of Liberty were a group that
a. Protested English tax on the Colonies
b. Established the Virginia House of Burgesses
c. Employed the Iroquois Indians during the French and Indian War
d. Spread the words of the Enlightenment in the colonies
1. The Writs of Assistance were used by the British authorities in the thirteen colonies to
a. Combat smuggling
b. Suppress newspaper criticism
c. Eliminate the influence of Quakers
d. Recruit sailors to the Royal Navy
2. "That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men,
deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed."
This statement from the Declaration of Independence indicates that
government has a responsibility to
a. promote economic development
b. control the lives of citizens
c. respond to the will of the people
d. provide for the defense of the nation
e.
EARLY US GOVERNMENT
State Constitutional Government
During the Revolutionary War, all 13 former colonies declared themselves states and wrote
_______________________ (written plans of government). These documents provided that final authority
rested with the people.
Articles of Confederation
During and after the Revolution, delegates from the 13 states to the Continental Congress drew up the
Articles of Confederation. This document describing the new government’s official powers was approved by the
states in 1781:

Powers: Congress COULD declare war, make peace, and conduct foreign affairs

Weaknesses:
In the 1780’s, economic and political troubles exposed the inadequacy of weak central government. One
alarming example was _________________ (1786), a violent protest by Massachusetts farmers against the
collection of a state tax.
1. The main criticism of the Articles of Confederation was that they failed to
(1) allow for the admission of new states
(2) limit the powers of the president
(3) provide adequate powers for the central government
(4) prevent the development of military rule
2. Which idea had a major influence of the authors of the Articles of Confederation?
a. A strong central government threaten the right of the people and the states
b. All people must be granted the right to vote
c. Three braches of government are needed to protect liberty
d. The central government must have the power to levy taxes and control trade
What is the basis for the Constitution? What ideas allow it to be created?
Democracy –
Preamble –
Republic –
Social Contract -
1. Which feature must a nation have to be considered a democracy?
(1) a strong president
(2) citizen participation in government
(3) elected judges to conduct trials
(4) a set of laws
2. The Preamble of the United States Constitution states the purposes of government and is based
on the belief that
(1) the states have ultimate authority
(2) members of Congress should be appointed
(3) Supreme Court Justices should be elected
(4) the people are sovereign
3. New York State and the United States have republican forms of government because both
have
(1) a bill of rights
(3) an elected legislature
(2) a written constitution
(4) three branches of government
4. Which concept found in the United States Constitution was a belief held by the social contract
philosophers of the Enlightenment period?
(1) presidential cabinet
(3) limited monarchy
(2) judicial review
(4) sovereignty of the people
5. A republican form of government is described as one in which
(1) there is a two-party system
(2) representatives are elected by the people
(3) elected officials have limited terms
(4) government power is limited by checks and balances
What happens during the debate over the Constitution at the constitutional convention?
Great Compromise
Three Fifths Compromise
Presidential Compromise
Commerce Compromise
Federalists vs. Anti-Federalists
1. During the Constitutional Convention of 1787, the plans for Congress proposed by delegates
from New Jersey and Virginia differed mainly over the issue of
(1) life terms of office or short terms of office
(2) appointed legislators or elected legislators
(3) equal state representation or proportionate state representation
(4) power to check other branches or power limited to lawmaking
2.
“New Congress to Have Two Houses”
“Slaves to Count as Three-Fifths of a Person”
“President to be Chosen by Electoral Vote”
Which conclusion about the Constitutional Convention is best supported by these headlines?
(1) The framers of the Constitution were able to compromise on important issues.
(2) States that were small in area would lose power in the new Constitution.
(3) States with large populations controlled the outcome of the convention.
(4) The president and Congress would have equal power under the new constitution.
3. The Federalist Papers were published in 1787 and 1788 to help gain support for
(1) a bill of rights
(2) the ratification of the Constitution
(3) a weaker central government
(4) the abolition of slavery and the slave trade
4. At the Constitutional Convention of 1787, the Great Compromise resolved the issue of
(1) representation
(3) slavery
(2) taxation
(4) control of trade
5. A significant compromise reached at the Constitutional Convention of 1787 was the agreement
to
(1) exclude slaves from census counts
(3) establish a bicameral legislature
(2) forbid tariffs on imports
(4) limit the number of terms a president could serve
Structure and Function
Branch
Position/Years
Role in Gov’t.
Executive
Legislative
(Congress)
_____________
____________
Judicial
1. Filibusters were used by United States Senators from the South in the 1950s and 1960s to
(1) block passage of civil rights bills
(2) protest United States involvement in Vietnam
(3) override presidential vetoes of environmental bills
(4) gain approval of presidential appointments to the Supreme Court
2. The Supreme Court has the power to
(1) control the federal budget
(2) vote to end a tie in the Senate
(3) approve presidential appointments
(4) interpret the Constitution
3. What was a direct result of the census of 2000?
(1) Personal income tax rates were changed.
(2) New United States District Courts were created.
(3) Seats in the House of Representatives were reapportioned.
(4) The number of United States Senators was increased.
4. The power of judicial review allows the Supreme Court to
(1) repeal amendments to the Constitution
(2) determine the constitutionality of a law
(3) break tie votes in the electoral college
(4) impeach the president and other high-level officials
Principles
Federalism
Reserved
Delegated
Separation of Powers
Checks and Balances
Elastic Clause
Amending Process (Jan’04 Thematic)
Unwritten constitution
1. The framers of the United States Constitution included the concepts of federalism, checks and
balances, and separation of powers in the document because they
(1) feared a government with unlimited power
(2) favored the poor over the rich
(3) wanted to increase the powers of the states
(4) hoped to expand the democratic process
2. The unwritten constitution is best defined as the
(1) amendments to the United States Constitution
(2) powers that the Constitution reserves for the states
(3) powers that the Constitution denies to Congress and to the states
(4) practices of the government that are based on custom and tradition
3. The development of political parties and of the committee system used in Congress illustrates the
application of
(1) constitutional amendments
(2) federal legislation
(3) the unwritten constitution
(4) Supreme Court decisions
4.
“The Congress shall have Power . . . To make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper for
carrying into Execution the foregoing Powers, and all other Powers vested [granted] by this
Constitution in the Government of the United States, or in any Department or Officer thereof. . . .”
This section of the United States Constitution was frequently used during the 20th century to
(1) expand federal control of interstate commerce
(2) reduce the number of federal courts
(3) overturn decisions of the electoral college
(4) impeach the president
5. Which power is shared by the federal government and the New York State government?
(1) enacting immigration laws
(2) levying taxes
(3) granting patents and copyrights
(4) issuing passports
6. To avoid having too much power concentrated in one branch of government, the framers of the
Constitution established
(1) a bicameral national legislature
(2) division of power among different levels of government
(3) the system of two political parties
(4) the system of checks and balances
7. Congress established a minimum wage for workers and regulations on radio broadcasts by combining
its delegated power to regulate interstate commerce with the
(1) sanctity of contract clause
(3) elastic clause
(2) due process clause
(4) writ of habeas corpus clause
8.
• Congress proposes an amendment legalizing
• The Supreme Court rules that the income tax
These events illustrate the use of
(1) delegated powers
(2) checks and balances
an income tax.
is unconstitutional.
(3) judicial legislation
(4) the unwritten constitution
9. Which newspaper headline shows the operation of the system of checks and balances?
(1) “Senate Rejects President’s Choice of Supreme Court Justice”
(2) “Florida To Gain Two Seats in the United States House of Representatives”
(3) “Albany County Receives $4 Million from Congress for Transportation Development”
(4) “New York State Rejects Federal Regulations on Drug Testing”
10. The change to the direct election of senators, the lowering of the voting age to eighteen, and the
establishment of a two-term limit for presidents are all examples of the use of
(1) judicial review
(3) executive privilege
(2) checks and balances
(4) the amendment process