American Colonization/ Revolution/ and The Critical Period Chapter 2 Notes

Why do we need government? We need government to make the rules and the laws that protect the citizens

Four Qualities of all good governments To provide services, these services are paid for and financed by taxes. Some of these services are: education, roads, sanitation, the postal service, recreation, hospitals, and welfare. To protect its citizens- Examples at the state level are: police, sheriff, fire department, highway patrol, and the State Bureau of Investigation. At the federal level some examples are: FBI, CIA, ATF, the military, and the FDA. To pass on values- such as, obeying laws, to be patriotic, equality, freedom, volunteering, tolerance, and a good work ethic. To encourage citizens to fill needed roles- in politics, jury duty, voting, military service, and public service.

Types of Governments Monarchy- A king or a queen is in power Dictatorship- Rule by one or a few (Cuba). Communism- The government owns, and controls all factors of production, like a dictatorship. (China) Democracy- Rule by the people, for the people (USA).

Types of Democracies Direct Democracy- the people make all of the decisions, and they vote for themselves (Mayflower Compact). Representative Democracy- also called a republic. The citizens elect officials to make decisions for them (House of Burgesses).

Governing the Colonies Early Influences Ideas brought from England A king or a leaders power should be limited. This was accomplished in England by the Magna Carta, which was singed by King John in 1215. The Magna Carta Also Influenced the Bill of Rights in the US (3rd, 4th, 6th, 7th, and 8th Amendments). The government should represent the will of the people. People are born with certain rights and freedoms.

The House Of Burgesses Founded in the Virginia colony at Jamestown in 1619. This was the first representative government in the colonies. The colony was divided into 22 burgesses, each one sent a representative to lobby their needs.

The Mayflower Compact This was a plan of government set forth by the Pilgrims. They settled at Plymouth Rock in Mass. It was based on equal law for the good of the community. This was a direct democracy. It is the basis for tow meetings that still take place in New England today.

The Independence Movement United States Vs. England

Movements in North Carolina The Mecklenburg Declaration- On May 20, 1775, a group of citizens from Mecklenburg County met and declared independence from all of the laws of England. This was probably the first declaration in all of the 13 Colonies. The original declaration was destroyed in a house fire. May 20, 1775 is one of the two dates that appear on the NC State flag. The Halifax Resolves- Each County in NC sent representatives to Halifax, NC to meet and discuss independence from England. On April 12, 1776, North Carolina became the first colony to declare its independence from England. This is the other date that is on the NC State flag.

National Independence The Declaration of Independence was adopted on July 4, 1776 by the second Continental Congress. Thomas Jefferson wrote the document. It stated that all 13 Colonies were free from England

The Basic Ideals of The Declaration of Independence All men are created equal. Today this is meant to include men and women. Jefferson borrowed this idea from the French philosopher Rousseau. We are born with certain unalienable rights that the government cannot take away. Jefferson borrowed this from John Locke, an English philosopher. The government gets its power from the people, for the people.

Common Sense Thomas Paine wrote a pamphlet that urged the American Colonies for complete separation from the English. This pamphlet led many Loyalists to turn against the crown and become patriots.

Choosing Our National Government The first plan of government in the US was the Articles of Confederation. John Dickenson of Delaware wrote the Articles. They were approved by all 13 states in 1781. They were modeled after the Albany plan written by Ben Franklin. There was a unicameral legislature, or a congress of one house.

Achievements under the Articles of Confederation They unified the 13 Colonies under one government The Treaty of Paris (1783)- a defense treaty with France was signed. The Land Ordinance of 1785- provided a way to survey land in the west. This helped to push westward expansion. Land was sold for a dollar an acre. The Northwest Ordinance of 1787- this provided a procedure on how a territory can become a state. You need at least 60,000 people who want to become a state

Weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation There was a weak national government. The federal government did not have the power to tax, raise an army, or enforce national laws. The states had more power than the national government. There was not a president, or a national court system.

Problem That Developed Under The Articles of Confederation (1781-1788) There was a depression because we lost England as a trading partner. States would not cooperate with each other and placed tariffs on interstate trade. We did not have a president; so foreign nations viewed us as powerless and gave us a lack of respect. Some nations even refused to recognize our independence.

Shay’s Rebellion In 1786 a group of farmers in Massachusetts started a rebellion. The rebellion was over high state taxes levied on farmers. Daniel Shays started this rebellion, it is known as Shays’ Rebellion. The rebellion was put down by the Massachusetts militia. The federal government did not have an army to deal with this problem. This was a signal to our founding fathers that a change needed to be made.

Dissatisfaction With The Articles of Confederation The Annapolis Convention- was a meeting called by the states to discuss problems with the Articles. Only 6 states attended. But they all agreed that something needed to be done. They scheduled another meeting in Philadelphia in May of 1787. This meeting eventually will be known as the Constitutional Convention.