Name:
UNIT 1: Foundations of the Republic
INTERACTIVE VOCABULARY
Word
Definition
Analysis
1. Declaration of Independence
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Document that states the reasons
for American colonies to be
independent of Great Britain
Argued that people can overthrow
an oppressive government that
failed to protect their unalienable
rights
Proposed a theory of the purpose
of government based on John
Locke’s philosophy
Rights that cannot be taken away
by government, such as “life,
liberty, and the pursuit of
happiness”
From John Locke (philosopher)
and mentioned in the Declaration
of Independence
Name two reasons why the U.S.
wanted to declare independence:
1.
America’s first form of
government
Strong state government and
weak national or federal
government
Had no president or judicial
branch, very weak Congress
Later replaced by the Constitution
of the United States
Why would early Americans want a
weak national government and
strong states?
an armed uprising of
Massachusetts farmers (former
soldiers) led by Daniel Shays
intended to shut down the courts
and block foreclosures of farms
Showed the problems that were
caused due to the weakness of
the Articles of Confederation
What was the weakness of the
Articles of Confederation that
caused this rebellion?
Created to replace the Articles of
Confederation with a stronger
central government
Plan of government that describes
the different parts of the
government and their duties and
powers:
o President, Congress with
two houses, and Supreme
Court
Can be amended
How many Articles are in the
constitution?
(1776)
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2.
Unalienable Rights
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3.
Articles of Confederation (1781)
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4. Shays’ Rebellion
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5.
United States Constitution (1787)
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2.
Why was it so important for the
American government to protect
unalienable rights? (think in relation
to when they were a colony of
Britain)
6. Bill of Rights
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7.
Republicanism
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8.
Limited Government
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9.
Popular Sovereignty
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10.
Federalism
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11. Checks and Balances
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First Ten Amendments to the U.S.
Constitution
Anti-federalists wanted a National
Bill of Rights added to protect
fundamental rights of people
Federalists felt that each State’s
Bill of Rights provided enough
protection to the people
List two amendments you know
and define them:
1.
The Framers created an indirect
democracy in which voters elect
representatives to be their voice
in government
Constitutional Principle
Why wouldn’t the Framers want
citizens to directly participate in
government?
Framers wanted to guard against
tyranny (overbearing government)
The Constitution specifically
defined and limited the powers of
government
Constitutional Principle
Why would early Americans want
the powers of government
specifically defined?
The people hold the ultimate
authority and have a say in their
government
The government gets its political
authority from the people
Constitutional Principle
What does Popular Sovereignty help
to prevent?
The division of power between
State and National Governments
Some powers are shared
The National Government has the
“supreme power”
Constitutional Principle
Give two examples of powers that
belong to the states only.
1.
Prevents the abuse of power in
government
Each branch can monitor and limit
the other branches
3 Branches: Legislative (Congress),
Executive (President), and Judicial
(Courts)
Constitutional Principle
If the President (Executive) doesn’t
like a law passed by Congress
(Legislative), what can the President
do?
2.
2.
12.
Separation of Powers
13. The Great Compromise
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14. The Three-Fifths Compromise
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15. E Pluribus Unum
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Three branches of government all
have different responsibilities to
prevent misuses of power
o Legislative branch makes
the laws
o Executive branch carries
out the laws
o Judicial branch interprets
the laws
Created by Roger Sherman. A mix
between the New Jersey and the
Virginia Plans.
Created a bicameral (2-house)
legislature
The House of Representatives is
based on population
The Senate has equal
representation with every state
having 2 Senators
A compromise that satisfied the
slave states
Each slave would count as 3/5’s of
a person in the national census,
which was added to the state’s
overall population and gave
Southern states more seats in
congress
Does the Separation of Powers help
or hurt our government?
The literal meaning is “out of
many, one.”
First suggested as a motto for the
United States in 1776
How does this term apply to the
forming of the United States?
Explain:
Which part of the compromise made
Virginia happy? Which part would
make New Jersey happy?
Which house of Congress would this
affect?
16. Judicial Review
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Power of federal courts to review
state laws and state court
decisions to determine if they are
constitutional
Does judicial review strengthen or
limit states’ powers?
17. Laissez-Faire (LA zay FAYR)
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Doctrine stating that government
generally should not interfere in
private business
“Hands off” approach to the
economy
One of Tocqueville’s 5 values
How does the government keeping
its “hands off” the economy help it
grow?
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18. Liberty
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19. Egalitarianism
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20. Individualism
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21. Populism
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22. Alexis de Tocqueville
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23. John Peter Muhlenberg
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24. Benjamin Rush
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Freedom from arbitrary or
tyrannical government control
(too powerful government or
changeable government)
One of Tocqueville’s 5 values
Explain the quote: “When
government fears’ the people there
is liberty”
Belief in equality;
There is no permanent class
structure keeping someone in the
same social class as their
ancestors
One of Tocqueville’s 5 values
Explain what is “class structure”:
People have the opportunity to
pursue their own individual goals,
and free to flourish or grow
without hereditary distinctions
One of Tocqueville’s 5 values
Give an example of individualism:
Belief in the power of regular
people;
Citizens of a country participate in
their government
One of Tocqueville’s 5 values
Is this similar to any of the
Constitutional Principles above? If
so which one?
Frenchman who observed the
American way of life and
government in action (1830’s)
Wrote Democracy in America
about the strengths and
weaknesses of the U.S.’s form of
government
List the 5 themes that de Tocqueville
mentioned:
Clergyman who recruited soldiers
to fight against the British
Became part of a group known as
the “Black Regiment” – ministers
who wore black robes while
preaching and recruiting
volunteers for the Revolutionary
Cause
Why would religious leaders hold so
much influence during this time
period?
Signed the Declaration of
Independence
Father of American Medicine
Favored education of women
Proposed national public
university to train public servants
How would education be beneficial
to the United States?
25. John Hancock
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26. Charles Carroll
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27. John Witherspoon
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28. Jonathan Trumbull, SR
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29. John Locke
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30. John Jay
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President of the 2nd Continental
Congress
Signer of the Declaration of
Independence
Signed name so large so George III
could read without his glasses
Signed the Declaration of
Independence
Helped to finance the Revolution
with his own money
Fought for the acceptance of
Catholicism
Have you seen his signature before?
President of New Jersey College
(Princeton) and signer of the
Declaration of Independence
Leading member of Continental
Congress
Presbyterian clergyman
“In my judgement it is not only ripe
for the measure (freedom from
Britain), but in danger of becoming
rotten for the want of it”.—What is
in danger of becoming rotten?
The only colonial governor who
sided with the colonists against
the British
Spoke in favor of colonial rights
and against English abuses
Why do you think the other colonial
governor’s sided with
Britain/England?
Philosopher who wrote “Two
Treatises on Government”
Ideas used in the Declaration
Purpose of government to protect
unalienable rights
If government fails to protect
unalienable rights, people have
the right to change government
List the unalienable rights discussed
by Locke.
Member Continental Congress
Negotiated peace treaty with
England, ending the Revolutionary
War
Wrote the Federalist Papers
First Chief Justice of the U.S.
Supreme Court (1789)
Governor of New York who
abolished slavery & funded road
and canal projects
Which branch(es) of the federal
government did John Jay participate
in?
What do you think is the most
important contribution of Mr.
Carroll?