Colonization Foundations of American Government Pre- Revolution New Government Constitutional America
Region where plantation system developed to harvest cash crops.
Southern Colonies
Trade route between American colonies, Europe and Africa.
Triangular Trade
Center of life in New England colonies; location of town meetings.
Churches
First legislature in the American Colonies.
House of Burgesses
Region that promoted religious tolerance and experienced the greatest range of diversity among colonists.
Middle Colonies: Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island
Idea that government comes from the consent of the governed.
Social Contract Theory
Town meetings were an example of this type of democracy.
Direct democracy
Philosophy of John Locke, where all people are born with the right to life, liberty and property.
Natural Rights Philosophy
Document signed by the pilgrims, agreeing to live equally under a common law to protect their rights and achieve a common good.
Mayflower Compact
The first constitution written in the American colonies, establishing laws and creating a political system. Daily Double
Fundamental Orders of Connecticut
Group formed in response to the Stamp Act who led attacks against British tax collectors and boycotts of British goods.
Sons of Liberty
Set of acts passed to punish the colonists for the Boston Tea Party.
Intolerable Acts or Coercive Acts
Written by Thomas Paine to encourage colonists to join the fight for independence.
Common Sense
Meeting of colonial delegates in 1774 to create a colonial army and discuss responses to British taxes.
First Continental Congress
Name of the group of American troops who fought against the British at Lexington and Concord.
Minutemen
Meeting of colonial delegates, in 1776, where the decision was made to declare independence from Britain and create a new government for America.
Second Continental Congress
First constitution of the United States of America.
Articles of Confederation
Successes of the Articles of Confederation.
Treaty of Paris (1783) and Northwest Territory ( )
Weaknesses of the Articles government.
Federal government could not enforce laws, organize trade between states or tax.
Meeting in 1787 of 55 delegates in Philadelphia to strengthen the Articles of Confederation.
Constitutional Convention
Determined how slaves would be counted for representation.
Three-fifths Compromise
Proposed that the number of representatives would depend on the size of a state’s population.
Virginia Plan
Resolved the Convention’s problem of representation by dividing the legislature into two bodies.
Great Compromise or Connecticut Compromise
Two factions which argued over the ratification of the Constitution.
Federalists and Anti-federalists
Added to the Constitution to win the approval of Anti-federalists.
Bill of Rights