Government_Ch2_Homework-1

=**Government Chapter 2 Homework #1**=

1. The English colonists brought ideas about government that had been developing in England for centuries. Two basic principles were limited government and representative government. These principles greatly influenced early colonial governments and as a result the future government of the U.S. under the Constitution. The seeds for the idea of limited government first appeared in the Magna Carte, or "Great Charter" in 1215. English aristocrats got King John to sign the document recognize their rights. This would be the first instance of the king having some power limits. As centuries passed, it became more accepted that the monarch's power wasn't absolute. In the centuries that followed, the English monarchy remained strong, but the Parliament (assembly of nobles) was also influential. In 1625, King Charles I took the throne and wanted to have absolute power like King Louis XIV in France. This angered the nobles. When King Charles I called Parliament into session, they forced him to sign the Petition of Right in 1628. The king's power was further limited since now he couldn't tax without Parliament's consent. The two sides continued a power struggle until Parliament won and the king was beheaded. The monarchy was later restored. Later, William and Mary took the throne in 1688 in the Glorious Revolution. At this time, the English Bill of Rights was established, which set clear limits on the king's power. The colonists believed that the English Bill of Rights also extended to the colonies. However, the king felt the colonists were //subjects//. This would be a source of conflict between the two sides by 1776. In addition, the colonists firmly believed in representative government, a government in which people elect delegates to make laws and conduct government. The English Parliament was a representative assembly that made laws with two chambers - the House of Lords (noble families) and House of Commons (elected by voters) and would be a model for the future U.S. Congress. The House of Burgesses in Jamestown was the first example of representative government in the colonies **The Magna Carta is among the earliest examples of --- (A) representative government (B) republic (C) limited government (D) constitution (E) all (F) none**
 * ...whereas the House of Burgesses was the first example of --- in the colonies (A)** **representative government (B) republic (C) limited government (D) constitution (E) all (F) none**

2. From the above reading: **The English Parliament would be a model for the --.**

3. European ideas on government deeply influenced the American colonists. During the late 1600s and 1700s, a major intellectual movement known as the Enlightenment. One such philosopher was John Locke, who published //Two Treatises of Government// by 1690. He discussed natural rights of life, liberty, and property. He wrote that governments must protect these natural rights and if government failed to do so then the people had the right to rebel and change such a government. These ideas were revolutionary at the time since monarchs still claimed they ruled by divine right. In the colonies, each colony had its own government consisting of a governor, a legislature, and a court system. They had a certain amount of authority, although the British believed the colonists owed all allegiance to the monarch. Colonial governments all had a written document of laws and power, or a constitution, each had an elected legislature, and each separated executive and legislative powers. Overall, the combination of their English heritage and what they brought over from England (Magna Carta, Petition of Right, English Bill of Rights) along with their own experiences (representative assemblies, separation of powers, written constitutions) would set the foundation for the future of American government. **How did Montesquieu influence the Framers? (A) checks and balances (B) representative assemblies (C) limited government (D) separation of powers (E) all (F) none**
 * A key feature of the colonial period was government according to a written plan. The Mayflower Compact that the Pilgrims signed in 1620 was the first of many colonial plans for self-government. The leaders of the //Mayflower// realized that they needed a plan to govern in order to survive. They wrote "//Solemnly and mutually in the presence of God and one of another, covenant and combine ourselves together into a civil body politic for our better ordering and preservation and furtherance of the ends aforesaid.//" The Mayflower Compact was the first example of self-government in the colonies. In 1636, other Puritans came where the Pilgrims had come to and established the Massachusetts Bay Colony. They developed the General Fundamentals, which were the first system of laws in the colonies. In 1639, Puritans from Massachusetts formed another colony - Connecticut. Then, they drew up America's first formal constitution, called the Fundamental Orders of Connecticut giving people power through elections and explaining the roles of governing officials. Soon after, other colonies did the same. In Pennsylvania, William Penn established the Pennsylvania colony with a basis of religious freedom in his 1701 Charter of Privileges. Penn was a member of the Society of Friends, also called Quakers, which were not allowed to practice their faith in England. Therefore, he set up the Pennsylvania colony to allow all Christian faiths to practice. Penn's colony was also labeled the Holy Experiment due to this religious freedom.
 * A second key feature in the colonies was representative legislatures. The House of Burgesses in Virginia was the first example of representative government. Other colonies set up the same type of assemblies. Representative assemblies became the colonial way of setting up legislatures. The Charter of Privileges was the Pennsylvania document that set up rights including religious freedom as the basis. To be in the PA legislature, being Christian was a requirement.
 * A third feature was separation of powers. This means that colonial charters divided the power of government. The governor, the king's agent in the colonies, had executive power, while the legislative assembly had the power to pass laws for the colonies. Colonial courts heard cases. The idea of separation of powers had been written about by Charles-Louis Montesquieu, an Enlightenment era thinker, in //The Spirit of Laws//. The colonists were very familiar with Montesquieu's ideas and writings.


 * He was a philosopher in what era? -**

4. From the above reading: **What document was the first example of self-government in the colonies? (A) Mayflower Compact (B) Charter of Privileges (C) House of Burgesses (D) Fundamental Orders of Connecticut (E) all (F) none**

5. From the above reading: **What group was William Penn part of? Why was Penn's colony called the Holy Experiment? Which PA document set up religious freedom in PA?**

6. After the French and Indian War in 1763, the British government began to tighten control of the colonies and raise taxes in North America. As British subjects, it was expected that colonies owed allegiance to the British Crown and the colonies were to exist for economic purposes - provide raw materials and market for British goods. However, in practice, the American colonies had been allowed to govern themselves and do pretty much as they pleased. The major reason was distance - the American colonies were 3,000 miles away. The king had approved royal governors in the colonies and in the 1620s the royal governor in Virginia approved that the Virginia legislature made laws and taxes for Virginia. Other colonies would do the same and approval from the royal governor meant approval from the king. As a result, the colonists grew accustomed to governing themselves through their representatives and this method had been approved. However, the French and Indian War brought some debt and the British believed the colonists should help pay. In addition, the new king - George III - had different ideas about governing the colonies. King George III levied taxes on the colonies - on sugar, tea, glass, paper, and other products. The Stamp Act of 1765 imposed the first direct tax on the colonists. It required them to pay a tax on legal documents, pamphlets, newspapers, and even dice and playing cards. Parliament also passed laws regulating colonial trade in ways that benefited Britain, but not the colonies. Britain's revenue - the money a government collects from taxes or other sources - from the colonies increased. Protests began to spread through the colonies. The Stamp Act Congress in 1765 was a group that specifically fought the Stamp Act and was able to get it repealed. However, other British taxes replaced it. The whole situation reached a boiling point in 1773 when a group of colonists protesting the tax on tea dressed as Mohawk Indians and dumped 342 chests of tea into Boston Harbor in what became known as the Boston Tea Party. In response, the British passed the Coercive Acts (called the Intolerable Acts by the colonists) withdrawing Massachusetts' right to govern itself. **How did the French and Indian War cause Britain to tighten control over the colonies? (A) some of the colonists supported the French (B) the Indians still lived in the colonies (C) debt forced more taxes (D) the king got absolute power (E) all (F) none**


 * Why did the king previously allow the colonies to govern themselves?**


 * Which colonial protest led to the passage of the Intolerable Acts?**

7. Colonial unity wasn't something new. In response to the attacks by the French that began the French and Indian War in 1754, Benjamin Franklin proposed a plan for uniting the colonies - the Albany Plan of Union. The colonies rejected the plan, however, because it gave too much power to an assembly made up of representatives from all thirteen colonies. However, by the 1760s with the growing discontent over the new British taxes and control the colonists began to think of themselves more as American and began to unite against the British. Colonial leaders began working together. The Stamp Act Congress of 1765 worked for repeal of the tax. This was the first meeting organized by the colonies to protest King George III's actions. They sent a petition to the king arguing that only colonial legislatures could directly tax the colonies - this is true and was correct since royal governors starting in 1624 in Virginia approved the method of taxes to be by colonial legislatures. By 1773, organizations called Committees of Correspondence were urging resistance to the British. These committees existed throughout the colonies to keep one another informed on what the British were doing. Samuel Adams was one of the leaders and established the first committee in Boston. The Intolerable Acts prompted Virginia and Massachusetts to call a general meeting of the colonies. Delegates from all the colonies except Georgia met in Philadelphia on September 5, 1774, for the First Continental Congress. The delegates debated about what to do in terms of their relationship with Britain. They finally imposed an embargo, an agreement prohibiting trade, on Britain and agreed not to use British goods. Basically, they wanted their rights that they always had. They also agreed to meet the following year if the British didn't change their policies. Events moved quickly. The British adopted stronger measures and King George announced "The New England governments are in a state of rebellion. Blows must decide whether they are to subject ot this country or independent." The first blow fell early on the morning of April 19, 1775. British redcoats clashed with colonial minutemen at Lexington and Concord in Massachusetts. This skirmish was the first battle of the Revolutionary War. **The Albany Plan, a plan ahead of its time, was suggested by Benjamin Franklin...(A) for colonial unity (B) to resist British taxes (C) to edit the Declaration of Independence (D) to keep peace at the Constitutional Convention (E) all (F) none**


 * What did the First Continental Congress want from Britain? (A) their rights (B) war (C) independence (D) less taxes (E) all (F) none**


 * What were examples of the colonies uniting together against the British? S A-- C---, C- of C-, and at the F- C-- C---.**

8. From the above reading: **What was the goal of the Stamp Act Congress? ...Committees of Correspondence? ...First Continental Congress?**

9.Within three weeks of the firing at Lexington and Concord, delegates from all thirteen colonies gathered in Philadelphia for the Second Continental Congress. They immediately assumed the powers of a central government. They chose John Hancock of Massachusetts as president of the Congress. Hancock was well-known, a merchant, and well-placed for helping to raise funds for an army. They appointed George Washington as Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army. Although it lacked official authority to be a working government, this body purchased supplies, negotiated treaties, and rallied support for the colonists' cause. As the Congress set to work, the independence movement was growing rapidly. A brilliant pamphlet titled //Common Sense//, written by Thomas Paine, influenced many colonists to push for independence. Samuel Adams also influence the colonists as one of the most outspoken for independence. Patrick Henry also gave a famous speech in which he said "Give me liberty, or give me death." In June of 1776, Richard Henry Lee proposed independence. A five member committee was appointed to draft a larger document for independence. Thomas Jefferson was a member of the five and the one chosen from the five to draft the Declaration of Independence. After some editing, the document was approved on July 4, 1776. In the Declaration of Independence, Jefferson drew on the ideas of John Locke (natural rights of life, liberty, and property) and other philosophers to explain the colonists' need for freedom. The Declaration explained the reasons the colonists were angry and confirmed why revolution was justified and laid down the founding principles of the new nation. The thirteen states declared independence together. They each saw themselves as "states." Remember the official definition of a state is a nation. When they declared independence, the thirteen former colonies were not thirteen individual independent nations. In a matter of time, all thirteen states had written constitutions or converted their colonial charters into a constitution and had working governments. Most had a bill of rights and each recognized the people as the sole authority in a limited government. **How was John Locke's ideas seen in the Declaration of Independence? The idea of n-- r- of l---, l--, and p---. Who wrote the Declaration of Independence? What date was it approved and independence officially declared?**

10. In 1777 the Congress appointed a committee to draft a plan for Confederation. The committee developed the Articles of Confederation. It would basically continue the system that was set up when the Second Continental Congress declared independence and the states developed their own constitutions. This Confederation created a "league of friendship" among the thirteen states rather than a system with a strong central government. The central government under the Articles of Confederation was very weak since the states were independent. The Confederation government included a unicameral or single-chamber legislature. Each state had one vote regardless of size and the states could send or recall members when it wanted. The Confederation Congress could make war or peace, send ambassadors, maintain an army by asking the states for soldiers, appoint top military officers, set weights and measures, regulate Indian affairs, set up post offices, and some other issues involving state disputes. Since no state had intentions of giving up any sovereignty to a central government, the Articles of Confederation were very weak. First, Congress didn't have the power to levy or collect taxes. it could raise money only by borrowing or requesting money from the states. Each state had to collect taxes from its citizens and turn the money over to the national treasury. Congress could do little, however, if a state refused to provide money. Second, Congress didn't have the power to regulate trade. States often had economic disputes. One of the biggest was between Maryland and Virginia who argued over control of the Chesapeake Bay. Third, the Confederation Congress couldn't force the states to enforce laws that they passed, they could only ask the states to comply. Fourth, laws needed the approval of 9 of the 13 states. This proved difficult since often not all states had delegates there as some didn't even send delegates to vote on certain matters. There seemed to be disputes between states with bigger populations and ones with smaller. The 5 smaller states had the ability to block laws the 8 bigger states wanted since 9 were necessary. Fifth, amending, or changing, the Articles required all 13 states to agree. In practice, this was impossible. Therefore, the Articles of Confederation was never changed. Sixth, there was not an executive branch to enforce laws Congress was able to pass. Finally, there was not a central court system that could solve the disputes between the states. Altogether, the idea of state sovereignty was great in terms of local control, but in terms of unity among all of the new states, there were certain areas in which the states weren't competent on their own. **What was the major characteristic of the states under the Articles of Confederation? What was a weakness of the Articles of Confederation?**

11. Despite some weaknesses, the Confederation made some important contributions to the new nation. It's greatest success was in establishing a fair and consistent policy for settling and developing the lands west of the Appalachian Mountains. These lands represented the future of the nation because land was the basis of most wealth in an agricultural society. The solution was that individual states ceded, or yielded, their land claims in the West to the central government, so that the Congress could make a government so that the Congress could make a national plan for the area. Congress then passed two land ordinances, or laws that set out how the lands would be organized - the Ordinance of 1785 and the Northwest Ordinance of 1787. The Northwest Ordinance had the principle advocated by Thomas Jefferson that once a territory reached a certain population then it could become a state. Another important accomplishment was the Treaty of Paris of 1783 that ended the Revolutionary War. The Confederation also set up departments of Foreign Affairs, War, Marine, and the Treasury, each under a permanent secretary, which set a precedent for the creation of cabinet departments once the current Constitution was in place. To encourage cooperation among the states, the Articles provided that each state give "full faith and credit" to the legal acts of the other states and treat one another's citizens without discrimination. This provision was often ignored, but would also be something carried over to the Constitution when it was written. **One of the successes under the Articles of Confederation was the Northwest Ordinance. Why was it important? (A) It set up fair development of land west of the Appalachians (B) It put troops along the Great Lakes (C) It expanded the Committees of Correspondence (D) It said each state must give "full faith and credit" to other states' laws (E) all (F) none**

12. Soon after the Revolutionary War, the states began to quarrel and the weaknesses under the Articles grew and began to overshadow some of the accomplishments. Many of the quarrels were over borders, tariffs, and taxes on goods from another state. Each state was sovereign or independent and some even acted directly with foreign nations and there was nothing the Congress could do about it. The new nation also faced major money problems from the war debt, the inability to tax to raise revenue, and the biggest problem - the printing of money (the Continental dollar) which led to inflation, which led to increases in prices, which hurt the regular American. By 1786, an economic depression left many farmers and merchants angry and in debt with Continental dollars that were declining in value. Economic troubles led to rebellion. Armed groups of farmers forced several courts to close to prevent farm foreclosures. The farmers hoped the state would pass laws allowing them to keep their farms. Daniel Shays, a former captain in the Revolutionary War, led a band that closed the Massachusetts state supreme court. When the court justices refused to help, Shays and a force of 1,200 men advanced on an arsenal in Springfield. The Massachusetts militia put down the rebellion, but the unrest frightened the American leaders. Shays Rebellion showed the weaknesses of the Articles and that something needed done. A meeting had already taken place before Shays Rebellion at Mount Vernon and George Washington was leading a discussion on solving the trade disputes between Virginia and Maryland over the Chesapeake Bay. With positive results, an idea for a larger convention in Annapolis, Maryland was organized. Only five states showed up and Alexander Hamilton urged a larger meeting the following year in Philadelphia to strengthen the government to make it more effective especially in the area of regulating commerce. The Confederation Congress granted permission for this meeting. The Philadelphia Conference was set for May of 1787. **What event showed the weaknesses of the Articles and that change was needed?**

13. In May of 1787 delegates representing the 13 states came to Philadelphia to fix the Articles of Confederation. George Washington would be the leader and presiding officer of the Philadelphia Conference. Benjamin Franklin was key in maintaining peace at the convention when arguments erupted. Franklin's experience and wisdom was a calming influence on the delegates. James Wilson was prominent and would be only one of a few of the Founding Fathers to sign both the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. James Madison took detailed notes on the debates at the convention and had many of the ideas that were put into the document they wrote and would be called the "Father of the Constitution." Madison was the author of the basic plan adopted by the convention. Benjamin Franklin set the tone very early in the debates when he suggested the conference begin each day with prayer. The biggest argument at the convention took place very early on. It was over how each state would be represented in the new legislature - lawmaking body. On May 29, Edmund Randolph of Virginia introduced 15 resolutions that James Madison had drafted. They came to be called the Virginia Plan. The plan proposed a government based on three principles: (1) a strong national legislature with two chambers, the lower one to be chosen by the people and the upper chamber to be chosen by the lower. The legislature would have the power to bar any sate laws it found unconstitutional. (2) a strong national executive to be chosen by the national legislature. (3) a national judiciary chosen by the legislature. This plan creates three branches of government with the legislature being the most powerful since it would also choose the executive and judiciary. Proposing this plan from the start was a brilliant move by those who wanted a stronger central government since it would set the agenda and basis for discussion. Debates over the plan went on for two weeks. The smaller states began to realize that the more populous states would be in control of the national government under this plan. The smaller states wanted a weaker central government maintaining more state power. On June 15, the smaller states proposed the New Jersey Plan led by William Paterson. It called for a government with the Articles of Confederation as the basis with a unicameral (one chamber) legislature, with one vote for each state - equal state representation regardless of population. It also called for the national government to be strengthened by giving it the power to tax and regulate trade. This plan suggested an executive elected by the Congress and the executive would consist of more than one person. The judiciary would be chosen by the executive. Paterson's plan was to maintain the Confederation with some improvements. The New Jersey Plan would be rejected and attention turned back to the Virginia Plan. However, the debate grew more intense over the question of the representation of the states in the Congress. Should it be based on population, which favored the bigger states or should the be represented equally regardless of population, which favored the smaller states. The debate was bitter and the convention was in danger of dissolving. **What was the biggest argument at the convention? What were the two sides of the argument? Which would you have sided with? Why?**

14. Compromise would be the only way to hold the convention together. A special committee was put together to work out a compromise. Roger Sherman led the forming of the Connecticut Plan, which became more commonly known as the Great Compromise. It suggested a legislative branch with two chambers - a bicameral legislature. It would consist of a House of Representatives based on the population of each state, which came from the Virginia Plan. The larger states would have the advantage in the House of Representatives. The plan also set up a Senate with two members from each state, which came from the New Jersey Plan's idea of equal state representation. The House got the power to start all money bills giving the bigger states the control over the start of the spending of money. The Senate would be chosen by state legislatures, which preserved state power, which is what the New Jersey Plan urged. This compromise solved the biggest argument at the convention. Soon, other compromises developed as well. Another compromise settled how slaves would be counted in terms of population to determine how many seats a state got in the House of Representatives. This was settled in the 3/5 Compromise in which only 3/5 of the slaves in the Southern states would count towards population. This was actually an incentive for the Southern states to free their slaves. For every 30,000 citizens, a state got a representatives. However, this number was 50,000 for slaves. Therefore, if the Southern states freed their slaves then they would get more representatives in the House and could control the House of Representatives. Another compromise dealt with commerce. The new federal government would regulate interstate (state-to-state) commerce as well as commerce with foreign nations while each state controlled the commerce within their state (intrastate). Compromise was also needed on electing the president. The debate on electing the president centered on whether the president should be elected directly by the people, by the Congress, or by state legislatures. As a compromise, the delegates finally settled on the Electoral College system. In this system, each state selects electors to choose the president. Similarly, the president's four-year term was a compromise between those wanting a longer term and those who feared a long term would give the president too much power. **What solved the biggest argument? Who came up with it? What was the compromise? What argument was solved by the 3/5 Compromise?**

15. For the new Constitution to become law, 9 of the 13 states had to ratify it. The political debate over ratification lasted until May 29, 1790, when Rhode Island finally voted for approval. The Constitution, however, actually went into effect on June 21, 1788 when New Hampshire became the 9th state to ratify it. The great debate over ratification quickly divided the people in the states. Fervent debates broke out in the newspapers. One group, known as the Federalists, favored the Constitution and was led by many of the Founders. Their support came mainly from merchants and others in the cities and coastal regions. The other group, called Anti-Federalists, opposed the new Constitution. They drew support largely from the inland farmers and laborers, who feared a strong national government. The lines of support, however, were not clearly drawn, and many city dwellers and businesspeople agreed with the opponents of the Constitution. The Anti-Federalists criticized the Constitution for having been drafted in secret. They claimed the document was extralegal, not sanctioned by law, because Congress authorized the Convention only to revise the old Articles and they argued that it took power from the states. The Federalists point was that it maintained state power and merely gave the federal government power where the states weren't competent on their own - fixing the problems under the Articles. It was definitely legal to create the Constitution. Rather than propose 20, 30, or 50 changes to the Articles, the Founders put all the changes into one whole document. It was also common practice to develop a new name for a document when it was changed. That's why it would be called the Constitution. The Anti-Federalists' strongest argument, however, was that the Constitution lacked a Bill of Rights. The Convention had, in fact, considered adding this kind of bill. In their discussions, they concluded logically that it was not necessary to have a bill of rights. After all, the Constitution did not authorize the government to violate the rights of the people. Furthermore, each state provided a bill of rights in their state constitutions. This was not good enough for the Anti-Federalists. This group warned that without a bill of rights, a strong national government might take away the rights that were won in the Revolution. They demanded that the new Constitution clearly guarantee the people's freedoms. The Federalists, on the other hand, argued that without a strong national government, anarchy, or political disorder, would triumph. They claimed that only a strong national government could protect the nation from enemies abroad and solve the country's internal problems. The Federalists had yet another argument. They pointed out that eight states already had rights protect in their state constitutions. Eventually, however, the Federalists promised to add a bill of rights as the first order of business when the new government met. With the promise of a bill of rights, the tide turned in favor of the Constitution. Many small states ratified it quickly because they were pleased with equal representation in the new Senate. Although the Constitution went into effect when New Hampshire ratified it, the legislatures in Virginia and New York had not yet held a vote on the new Constitution. Everyone knew that without the support of those two large and powerful states, the Constitution would not succeed. In Virginia, George Washington, James Madison, and Edmund Randolph argued in favor of the new Constitution and their efforts helped win a close vote ratifying it. Alexander Hamilton argued in favor of the Constitution in New York. To help him win the battle, Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay published a series of 85 articles defending the new Constitution. These essays became known as //The Federalist Papers//. The efforts were successful and New York ratified the Constitution. George Washington was elected first president (John Adams vice president) and on March 4, 1789 Congress met for the first time in Federal Hall in New York City. Washington took the oath of office On April 30. To fulfill their promises, James Madison introduced a set of amendments during the first session. The first 10 amendments were passed and ratified in 1791 - the Bill of Rights. **What were the competing positions over ratification?**


 * What role was played by James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and John Jay? They were responsible for (A) the start of committees of correspondence (B) writing the Federalist Papers (C) pushing the Stamp Act Congress to resist British taxes (D) Great Compromise (E) all (F) none**


 * Who was elected first president and vice president?**

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