Download America Revolts Powerpoint - Ms. Brett

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Why? British victory in
French and Indian War
results in more territory
which means more
problems and more
costs.
Such as? Proclamation
of 1763 to halt
westward settlement,
Quartering Act to
support British troops,
and taxes (Sugar,
Stamp, Townshend,
etc.)
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Why?
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How?
◦ 150 years of “salutary
neglect”
◦ King’s tyranny (unjust use
of government power)
◦ “no taxation without
representation”
◦ Boycotts
◦ Propaganda (Boston
Massacre)
◦ committees of
correspondence
◦ Protests (Boston Tea Party)
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Thomas Paine writes
Common Sense
convincing Americans that
peace with Great Britain is
not possible
Thomas Jefferson and
others write the
Declaration of
Independence
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Influenced by English
philosopher John Locke’s
idea of “inalienable rights”
(rights that are natural to
all and can’t be taken
away)
http://www.history.com/shows/am
erica-the-story-ofus/videos/american-revolution
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American Revolution Activity
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Each state had its own Constitution
◦ Separated powers of government into executive,
legislative, and judicial branches
◦ Typically limited voting rights to white men who
paid taxes or owned a certain amount of
property.
◦ Only New Jersey gave rights women and African
Americans who owned property.
◦ 0 of the original 13 states outlawed slavery, and
all states south of Pennsylvania denied slaves
equal rights as human beings.
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Drafted in 1777 when many Americans feared a
powerful national government.
AoC created a framework for a loose confederation
of states.
◦ Each state would often develop its own rules /
regulations.
Congress could only declare war, negotiate with
foreign countries, establish a postal system, and
settle disputes between the states.
◦ It had no power to tax
◦ Did not set up an executive branch to carry out the
laws or a judicial branch to settle legal questions.
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Land Ordinance of 1785
set up a system for
surveying and dividing
land in the new territory.
1787, Northwest
Ordinance to specify how
these western lands
would be governed.
◦ When a territory had
5,000 free adult men it
could elect a
legislature.
◦ When the population
reached 60,000 free
inhabitants the
legislations could write
a constitution and form
a government.
 If Congress approved
both, the territory
would become a
state.
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Congress’s weakness
Debt
Trade
Interstate commerce
Tariffs
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The delegates were influenced by John Locke’s
ideas about natural rights.
Montesquieu, another Enlightenment thinker
favored a three part government with
separation of powers, that work together in a
system of checks and balances limiting the
power of the others.
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The Great Compromise
 Combination of the New Jersey
Plan and the Virginia Plan.
◦ Led to the 3/5 Compromise
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Three Branches of Gov’t
 Separation of Powers
 Established a system of checks
and balances
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Bill of Rights would be later
added after Anti – Federalist
concerns.
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Strict Constructionist vs. Judicial Interpretation
◦ Strict Constructionist - interpreting the Constitution based on a literal
and narrow definition of the language without reference to the
differences in conditions when the Constitution was written and
modern conditions, inventions, and societal changes. By contrast
"broad construction" looks to what someone thinks was the "intent" of
the framers' language and expands and interprets the language
extensively to meet current standards of human conduct and
complexity of society.
 Strict construction is the opposite of judicial interpretation, which
permits a term to be reasonably and fairly evaluated so as to
implement the object and purpose of the document. Advocates of
strict construction believe judges must exercise restraint by refusing
to expand the law through implication.
◦ Judicial Interpretation - refers to how a judge interprets laws. Different
judges interpret the laws of their state or the country in different ways.
Some judges are said to interpret laws in ways that cannot be
sustained by the plain meaning of the law; at other times, some judges
are said to "legislate from the bench". These judicial behaviors are
sometimes referred to as judicial activism, which is contrasted to
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Latin for "Out of
many, one
(alternatively
translated as "One
out of many
was considered
a de facto motto of
the United States
until 1956
adopting "In God
We Trust"