Representative government
People should have a say in their own government
Limited Government
Belief that government should be subject to strict limits on the lawful use of power
Individual rights
Government should protect individual and property rights
Republicanism
Broad set of representative ideas that dates back to Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome
Civic virtue
The idea that people should place the common good over their private interests
Machiavelli
Discourses on Livy - a theory of republic through civic virtue
Interests of the Monarch (one), Aristocracy (few), People (many)
Montesquieu
French philosopher
Government should be divided between legislative, executive, and judicial branches
Separation of power
John Locke
The Second Treatise on Government
The Social Contract
Rousseau
A social contract between people and the government
Smith
Protecting economic freedoms
The Wealth of Nations
Voltaire
Civil liberties such as freedom of speech and religion
Blackstone
Protecting natural rights to life, liberty, and property
Commentaries on the Laws of England
Became the basis for law in the colonies and influenced the writing of the US Constitution
New England Confederation
To defend against threats from native Americans and nearby Dutch colonies
(Plymouth, Connecticut, Massachusetts bay, new haven)
Iroquois Confederation
Alliance of 6 Native American nations with a constitution and council of leaders
New Albany Plan
Became the basis for the first official draft of the US Constitution
Stamp Act
Sons and Daughters of Liberty
Parliaments first attempt to tax the colonists directly
Colonists respond with -
First Continental Congress
Lexington and Concord
Sent the king the Declaration of Resolves
Demands weren't met & this led to -
The shot heard round the world
Lexington and Concord
Second Continental Congress
Met in response to Lexington and concord
Resolved to take strong measures against Great Britain
Common Sense
Thomas Paine
Persuasive argument for separating from England
Articles of Confederation
Firm league of friendship
Each state remained sovereign under these
"-
Unicameral
One house legislature
Bicameral
Two house legislature
Shays Rebellion
Farmers attacked courthouses to prevent judges from foreclosing on farms, armed
Northwest Ordinance
Established a plan for settling the NW Territory
Banned slavery here and created system for admitting new states
The Great Compromise
Bicameral legislature with a House (based on population) and Senate (2 per state)
3/5 Compromise
Each slave counted as 3/5 a person in the South
Ratify
To officially approve
Federalists
In favor of ratifying the Constitution
Strong central government
The Federalist Papers
Series of letters to newspapers in support of the Constitution written by James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and John Jay
Anti-Federalists
Opposed ratification of the Constitution
Federal government had too much power
Popular Sovereignty
People are the main source of the government's authority
Limited Government
The government only has the powers that the constitution gives it
Federalism
Federal government and state government share power
Separation of Powers
The government's powers are separated between 3 branches of government
Checks and Balances
Each branch of government has the power to limit the actions of the other 2
Representative Government
Citizens elect representatives to government to make laws
Individual Rights
The Constitution protects citizens' individual rights, such as freedom of speech and religion
Charter colonies
Colonies based on a grant of land by the British crown to a company or group of settlers
Framers
Delegates of the Constitutional Convention who developed the framework for the government and wrote the Constitution
Magna Carta
A charter agreed to by King John of England that granted nobles certain rights and restricted the King's power
Petition of Right
A document signed by Charles I of England that limited the powers of the English monarch
English Bill of Rights
Document signed by King William that stated that English monarchs would no longer be able to enact laws, raise taxes, or keep any army without Parliament's consent
Proprietary Colony
A colony that was based on a grant of land by the English monarch to a proprietor, or owner, in exchange for a yearly payment
Royal Colony
Colony directly controlled by the English king through appointed governors who served as the colonies' chief executive
Judeo Christian Influences
Law and individual rights as being of divine origin
Individual responsibility
Freedom to worship
Self government
Washington
President of the Constitutional Convention
Madison
Author of the Virginia plan and a supporter of strong national government
Franklin
Oldest and most admired delegate at the Constitutional Convention
Randolph
Proposed Virginia plan
Thomas Jefferson
Wrote Declaration of Independence