The Birth of a Nation

The student will demonstrate an understanding of the conflicts between regional and national interest in the development of democracy in the United States.

Analyze the impact of the Declaration of Independence and the American Revolution on establishing the ideals of a democratic republic.

Analyze how dissatisfactions with the government under the Articles of Confederation were addressed with the writing of the Constitution of 1787, including the debates and compromises reached at the Philadelphia Convention and the ratification of the Constitution.

Explain how the fundamental principle of limited government is protected by the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, including democracy, republicanism, federalism, the separation of powers, the system of checks and balances, and individual rights.

Analyze the development of the two-party system during the presidency of George Washington, including controversies over domestic and foreign policies and the regional interests of the Democratic-Republicans and the Federalists.

Summarize the expansion of the power of the national government as a result of Supreme Court decisions under Chief Justice John Marshall, such as the establishment of judicial review in Marbury v. Madison and the impact of political party affiliation on the Court.

Key Terms

French and Indian WarWrits of assistanceProclamation of 1763Stamp ActDeclaratory ActBoston MassacreBoston Tea PartyIntolerable ActsFirst Continental CongressLexington and ConcordSecond Continental CongressThomas JeffersonEgalitarianismInalienable rightsDeclaration of IndependenceGeorge WashingtonSaratogaYorktown

Articles of ConfederationU.S. ConstitutionGreat CompromiseThree-fifths CompromiseSlave Trade CompromiseBill of RightsFederalistAnti-FederalistsLoose interpretation of the ConstitutionStrict interpretation of the ConstitutionFederalist PapersAlexander HamiltonFederalist PartyDemocratic-RepublicansNaturalization ActAlien Act

Sedition ActVirginia Kentucky ResolutionsDoctrine of NullificationRepublicDemocracySeparation of PowersChecks and BalancesFederalismLegislative BranchHouse of RepresentativesSenateExecutive BranchJudicial BranchPrecedenceMarbury v. MadisonJohn MarshallJudicial Review

Essential Questions

Why was the French & Indian War fought?

What were the primary causes of the American Revolution?

What were the colonial responses to British actions such as the Proclamation Act of 1763, Stamp Act, & Intolerable Acts?

What was the importance of Thomas Paine’s Common Sense?

The Articles of Confederation proved ineffective because of what?

How did Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson interpret the Constitution differently?

What purpose does the Bill of Rights serve?

The American Revolution

The roots of the American Revolution go all the way back to the late 1600s because of the idea of _________________.

Countries grow _________________ by exporting more than they import.

To maintain such a balance, nations needed _______________ for additional resources and markets.

In 1660, England began passing a series of laws known as the __________________________.

These __________ required British colonies to sell certain goods only to England.

The few products the colonies could sell to other countries were charged a British ____________.

Strict ________________ of the Navigational Acts contributed to the American Revolution.

Causes of the Revolution

The desire for ______________ produced by mercantilism also mean that nations ended up fighting over _______ and __________________.

As British ____________ moved west, they found themselves fighting French settlers and Native Americans.

In _________, this tension resulted in the French and Indian War. (Britain v. French and Indians)

It lasted nine years, ____________ finally surrendered and gave up its claim in Canada and all lands east of the Mississippi.

The French and Indian War

After the F&I War, _____________ between England and the colonists deteriorated.

The colonist had lost all respect for the British _____________ because they believe the British were not suited for fighting on American terrain.

Great Britain was heavily in ________ after the war and wanted the ________________ to help pay for the expense.

In 1760, _______________ began issuing writs of assistance.

Three years later, in response to Native American attacks the King issued the _______________________________.

Tensions Rise Between Great Britain and the Colonies

The proclamation ________ forbade the colonists from settling west of the Appalachian mountains.

It also put the territory under British ________.

Colonist __________ the restrictions and many ignored the proclamation.

Beginning in the mid 1760s, Parliament passed a series of _______________________ that made the Americans mad. The Quartering Act, Stamp Act, Declaratory Act

In protest, the colonist imposed a ___________ of British goods.

Tensions Rise Between Great Britain and the Colonies cont.

A _________ called the Sons of Liberty took it upon themselves to enforce the boycotts and used ________________________________ to prevent implementation of British laws.

In 1767 _____________________ passed the Townshend Acts.

Colonist reacted very ________________ and the British sent in troops into Boston.

On March 5, 1770, British soldiers felt _____________________ by a mob of angry protesters and fired shots.

Several colonist were dead, and this became known as the __________________________.

Tensions Rise Between Great Britain and the Colonies cont.

Shortly after the _________________, the Townshend Acts (except for the duty on tea) and tensions subsided.

Years of _________________________ would not allow Americans to accept England's strong hold over them.

One group took bold action in December 1773, when it dressed as Mohawk Indians, and marched to the _____________________.

Once there they _____________ ships and threw the Boston tea overboard. (Boston Tea Party)

In response Parliament passed the ______________________ (the colonist labeled them Intolerable Acts)

These acts _____________ the Boston harbor .

The Revolutionary Cause

To deal with the _____________, nearly every colony gathered for the First Continental Congress in September 1774.

The Congress wrote a letter to the King, and stated they had a ____________ to be represented in their government.

Since they were _______________________ in Parliament they should be allowed to govern themselves.

In April 1775, all hope was lost for a peaceful resolution when ______________ broke out at Lexington and Concord.

British troops were on their way to _____________ and _____________ when they were met by colonial militia.

This became known as the “Shot heard around the world” that ____________ the American Revolution”

The Revolutionary Cause cont.

Less than a month later _______________________ met for the Second Continental Congress to discuss how to deal with the situation.

In January 1776, _______________________ published his famous pamphlet, Common Sense.

In it he made a compelling case for _________________________.

The Second Continental Congress eventually stopped seeking _________________ with England and instead drafted the Declaration of Independence.

The Revolutionary Cause cont.

Thomas Jefferson _________________ the Declaration of Independence.

He was ______________ by men like John Locke and the Enlightenment.

Jefferson asserted the principle of egalitarianism and ________________ that men are born with certain inalienable rights.

The Declaration concluded with a list of _________________ against the King and asserts the colonist right to declare independence.

Once it was __________, the 13 colonies became states.

The Declaration’s ____________ also formed the groundwork for the United states Constitution

The Declaration of Independence

King George didn’t expect a long _________. Britain possessed the worlds best army and navy.

There was no way the ___________ could beat this force.

The colonist had one advantage, they were fighting for their ___________________.

Many colonist knew the British ______________ after fighting along side them in the F&I War.

Colonial ______________ also knew if they failed they would all hang for treason.

THEY HAD TO WIN!!!

The War for Independence

Not all colonists supported independence, ______________ remained loyal to the king.

Landowners in the south who _________________ on the British for protection and certain businesses who relied on economic relations with England did not war.

______________ wanted independence from Great Britain.

Loyalist and Patriots

In July of 1775, George Washington, arrived having been newly appointed by the Continental Congress as ____________________ of the Continental Army.

George Washington

__________ broke out in the south as early as 1775.

On June 28, 1776, South Carolina ____________ resisted an attack on Charleston.

By the summer of 1780, General Cornwallis had ___________ both Savannah and Charleston.

Cornwallis sought to _____________ North Carolina but the Battle of Kings Mountain and Cowpens ended in defeat for him.

Small bands led by people like Francis Marion (nicknamed the Swamp Fox) and Thomas Sumter (nicknamed the Gamecock) grew in numbers and cause headaches for the ______________.

Eventually Cornwallis did invade NC, then marched his men to _________________, Virginia, where he hope to receive what he needed from British ships.

The Southern War

Realizing Cornwallis was ___________________ at Yorktown, Washington marched south to trap him between the Continental Army and the Atlantic Ocean.

Meanwhile the _____________ Navy provided a blockade that prevented British ships from coming to Cornwallis’s rescue.

On October 19, 1781, Cornwallis _____________ to Washington at Yorktown.

Yorktown officially ______________ the Revolutionary War.

The war officially ended in 1783 when the two sides signed the __________________________.

Great Britain formally __________________ U.S. independence.

Yorktown

Establishing a Government

In the ___________________ the newly independent state were cautious about giving to much power to the central government.

They preferred a __________________ in which each state would maintain its sovereignty.

For this reason, Congress ______________ the Articles of Confederation, this was the nations first set of laws.

Finally ratified in 1781, the ___________ failed because it did not give enough power to the federal government.

Congress was unable to pass a law because it took at least nine of the thirteen states to _____________.

Since states had _____________________ interests this seldom happened.

Articles of Confederation

The _________________ did not allow the government to impose taxes.

The federal government had to ask the states for ___________.

After the ___________________ the United States experienced an economic crisis.

The ______________ of U.S. currency was very low.

Articles of Confederation cont.

Falling farm prices left many ________________ unable to repay outstanding loans.

At the same time, Massachusetts ______________ taxes (states could)

Outraged, a Massachusetts farmer and Revolutionary war veteran name Daniel Shay led a _______________________.

Without an adequate national government, Massachusetts was forced to deal with the revolt alone. This event made it evident a _____________ central government was needed.

Leaders called a convention to revise the _______________…

In 1787, a _______________________ met in Philadelphia to revise the AOC.

They decide to do away with the document and write a ___________ set of laws. The result was the U.S. Constitution.

This caused much _______________ therefore a number of compromises emerged.

The Constitutional Convention and Ratification

Edmund Randolph and James Madison of Virginia introduced the __________________.

They proposed a federal government made up of __________________________.

Legislative Branch, Executive Branch, Judicial Branch

For the Legislative Branch the Virginia Plan called for _________ houses with representatives from each state.

In each house, the number of representatives per state would be based on _______________.

Larger states loved this idea but smaller states hated it because they would be left with __________ representation.

The Great Compromise

As a result one of New Jersey’s delegates proposed the __________________ Plan. It also had three branches.

The New Jersey plan only called for one house with each state getting _________ vote.

In the end the delegates decide on a __________________.

It became known as the _________________________.

It established a _______________ branch with two houses.

One house, __________________________ elected by the people with each state granted seats based on population.

The other house, called the ____________, would be elected by state legislatures, with each state having two senators, regardless of population.

Together these two houses would comprise __________.

The Great Compromise cont.

________________ also proved to be a point of contention.

_______________ states had fewer slaves and argued that since slaves were not voting citizens, they should not be counted as part of the population.

_______________ states had far more slaves and wanted to count them.

The answer to this question was important because it affected how many representatives each ______________ would have in congress.

Again, a ______________________ was reached. It was know as the three-fifths compromise.

The Three-Fifths Compromise

Debate about the slave trade resulted in the Slave Trade ________________________.

Northerners ______________ the slave trade but allowed it to continue for twenty years.

After this Congress could _____________ regulations.

This was important to the Southerners who insisted their ________________ could not survive without the slave trade.

The Slave Trade Compromise

There were also controversy surrounding the new _____________________.

Many favored the ____________________ because they believed the U.S. needed a strong federal government with a powerful president.

Others opposed it because they ____________ a strong federal government would trample their rights.

Those that supported the Constitution were called ________________________.

Those that opposed them and wanted a stronger state government were called ____________________________.

Federalist vs. Anti-Federalists

Federalist had a _____________ interpretation of the Constitution.

They ________________ the Constitution allowed the federal government to take certain actions not specifically stated as long as it was necessary.

The Anti-Federalist held a _______________ interpretation of the Constitution.

They believed the federal government could only do what the Constitution ________________ said.

To make their case for the Constitution, the Federalist wrote a series of essays known as the ________________________.

Another compromise was reached and although the Federalist won, the Anti-Federalist did secure a ______________________________.

Federalist vs. Anti-Federalists cont.

Hamilton, Jefferson, and the Emergence of Political Parties

When the U.S. government took power in 1789, the nation was deep in debt and the value of ___________________ was low.

Alexander Hamilton _______________ a plan. Take on states debts that was largely due to the war.

To raise revenue and strengthen the economy, Hamilton wanted to establish an ____________ tax on whiskey and impose tariffs.

He believed this would _________________ and protect U.S. businesses and start a national bank.

Thomas Jefferson _____________ this plan, because he had a strict interpretation of the Constitution.

Southerners opposed this plan because they were against ________________.

Hamilton’s Economic Plan

Tariffs would _______________ competition from foreign countries and raise prices.

Southerners also didn’t want to help pay the _____________ of other states.

The whiskey tax was very ________________ among farmers.

Many _____________ made their money from converting grain into whiskey.

Their protest led to the ___________________ of 1794.

President _____________________ had to organize a military force to halt their resistance.

Hamilton’s Economic Plan

Shortly before President Washington left office he gave a ___________________ address.

He emphasized ______________ points.

1.The U.S. should stay ___________________ and avoid permanent alliances with other nations.

2.He believed _______________ government is based on religion and morality.

3.He spoke about the ________________ of forming political parties. (He warned political parties would cause people to work for their special interests rather than for the public good.)

The Rise of Political Parties

Despite Washington’s _________________, opposing political parties did form.

The Federalist Party __________________ in a strong national government.

Felt political power should be ___________________ to the educated upper classes and supported business over agriculture.

Alexander Hamilton was their __________ figure.

The Democratic-Republicans _______________ in opposition of the Federalist.

They _______________ stronger state governments and a weaker national government.

They favored __________________________________ and their leader was Thomas Jefferson.

The Rise of Political Parties cont.

___________ was not the only problem facing the new nation. Global politics was another major source of concern.

As a result Congress _______________ the Naturalization Act, the Alien Act, and the Sedition Act.

Thomas Jefferson and James Madison _______________ a response to the Alien and Sedition Act called the Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions.

This became _______________ as the Doctrine of Nullification.

With the end of the War of 1812, the Federalist Party ______________.

Conflicts between the Federalist and the Democratic-Republicans

Principles of the Constitution

The Founding Fathers of the United States based the U.S. Constitution on the ideals of limited government and the rule of law. In the United States, the government must abide by the Constitution.

The U.S. __________________ founded a republican government.

A Republican government is one where members of an elite, leadership class, __________________ members of society overall.

Under the Constitution, only ____________ who owned property could originally vote.

Over time, the U.S. government __________________ to be more of a democracy.

In a democracy, the people ____________ leaders directly.

The 17th Amendment allowed private ____________ to elect U.S. Senators instead of relying on state legislatures to do so.

Eventually Presidents were _____________ directly.

Republicanism and Democracy

In order to prevent any one leader from becoming to __________________, the framers made sure that the new government featured a separation of powers.

This is where each branch ______________ governmental authority.

To make sure that no one branch tries to use its authority to overpower the others, the framers of the Constitution included a system of _____________________________________.

Ex. Congress has the power to propose and pass bills that become laws. The president however has the authority to check this power by vetoing (rejecting the bill) Congress can still pass it if they have enough votes to override the Presidents veto. (2/3)

Separation of Powers and Checks and Balances

THE PREAMBLE AND ARTICLE I

The ______________ sentence of the U.S. Constitution is known as the Preamble.

It serves to _______________ the purpose and intent of the document.

The Preamble is _____________ by seven articles that establish the U.S. government.

The articles are followed by twenty seven ____________________.

These are ________________________ to the Constitution.

Sections of the U.S. Constitution

THE PREAMBLE AND ARTICLE I (The Legislative Branch) cont.

Article I established the legislative branch, known as __________________. It is the role of the legislative branch to make the laws.

Congress consist of _________ houses. Population determines how many representatives each state has in the House of Representatives. (_________)

The second house is the Senate, which is comprised of __________ senators from each state. (________)

Sections of the U.S. Constitution

ARTICLE II(The Executive Branch)

Article II establishes the executive branch of government to _____________ the laws.

The _________________ of the United states serves as the chief executive of this branch.

The president is _______________ to office by the electoral college.

The Constitution __________ the qualifications for president and defines his or her powers and responsibilities.

Sections of the U.S. Constitution

ARTICLE III(The Judicial Branch)

Article III creates the ______________ Branch. This branch consist of the federal court system with the Supreme court acting as the highest court in the land.

One of the most _________________ powers of the judicial branch is not specifically granted by the Constitution, but rather established by precedence in 1803 (Marbury v. Madison)

Precedence means a court uses ________ legal decisions to make rulings because the law is open to interpretation, or there is no written statute.

If Congress passes a law and the president signs it, the federal courts can still nullify it by ruling it ________________ the Constitution.

Sections of the U.S. Constitution

THE BILL OF RIGHTS

Congress passed the Bill of Rights in 1789 for the purpose of protecting __________ liberties.

Greatly influenced by the English Bill of Rights and Declaration of Independence, these _____ amendments are known as the U.S. Bill of Rights.

Sections of the U.S. Constitution