Colonial Era and Road to Revolution

Colonial Era

• Great Awakening: A religious revival movement in the 1730s and 1740s. It emphasized emotional experiences and personal relationships with God, challenging the established religious order and fostering a sense of religious fervor among colonists.

• Three Regions of the Original 13 Colonies:

  • New England: Known for religious Puritanism, strong community governance, shipbuilding, fishing, and trade.
  • Middle Colonies: Diverse in religious and ethnic groups, with a focus on agriculture, commerce, and tolerance
  • Southern Colonies: Dominated by large plantations, growing cash crops like tobacco, rice, and indigo, relying heavily on enslaved labor.

Road to Revolution

• Boston Tea Party: A protest in 1773 where colonists disguised as Native Americans destroyed 342 British East India Company chests of tea in Boston Harbor, demonstrating opposition to British taxation and control over colonial trade.

• King George's Taxation of Colonists: The British government imposed taxes on the colonists, such as the Stamp Act, to help recoup costs from defending the colonies during the French and Indian War.

• "No taxation without representation": Colonists argued that they should not be taxed by the British Parliament without having elected representatives to voice their interests.

• “Join or Die” Cartoon: A political cartoon by Benjamin Franklin depicting a disjointed snake cut into pieces, each representing a different colony. It urged colonies to unite against British rule and fight for colonial independence.

Revolutionary Era

• Declaration of Independence:

  • Who: Written by Thomas Jefferson and approved by the Continental Congress.
  • What: Announced the 13 colonies’ secession from British rule, outlining the colonists' grievances against King George III and their pursuit of self-governance.
  • When: July 4, 1776
  • Where: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
  • Why: To justify the colonies' rebellion against British rule and to establish legitimacy as a sovereign nation with the right to self-determination.

• "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal" - This is a quote from the Declaration of Independence.

• France: France was the nation that provided the most significant support to the American colonists during the Revolutionary War, supplying military aid, financing, and naval support.

• Thomas Jefferson: He wrote the Declaration of Independence.

• Western Boundary of the United States after The Revolution: The Mississippi River.

• Shay's Rebellion: A rebellion of farmers in Western Massachusetts in 1786, protesting against debt, high taxes, and oppressive economic policies imposed by the government. Demonstrated the weakness of the Articles of Confederation, highlighting its inability to effectively enforce laws, collect taxes, and maintain stability.

• Articles of Confederation: The original government established by the newly independent colonies. It created a weak central government with limited powers, leaving most authority to the states. It was eventually replaced by the Constitution, creating a stronger federal system.

Constitution Unit

• Federalism: Divides powers between a national government and state governments, ensuring a balance of authority and preventing tyranny by either level.

  • Powers Given to States:

    • Reserved Powers: Powers not specifically given to the federal government by the Constitution and not denied to the states. Examples: establishing schools, conducting elections, regulating intrastate commerce.

  • Powers Given to the National/Federal Government:

    • Enumerated Powers: Powers explicitly granted to the federal government by the Constitution. Examples: declaring war, regulating interstate commerce, coining money.

  • Powers Shared by States and The Federal Government:

    • Concurrent Powers: Powers shared by both the state and federal governments. Examples: levying taxes, establishing courts, borrowing money.

• Congress: Responsible for making laws. It is composed of two chambers, the House of Representatives and the Senate.

• Senate: Each state has two senators.

• House of Representatives: The number of representatives per state is based on population - each state has at least one.

• Executive Branch: Responsible for carrying out and enforcing laws. Led by the President.

• Preamble: The introduction to the Constitution, outlining its purpose and goals. It establishes the principles upon which the government is founded: forming a more perfect Union, establishing justice, ensuring domestic tranquility, providing for the common defense, promoting the general welfare, and securing the blessings of liberty for ourselves and our posterity.

• Bicameral: Refers to a legislature with two houses, like the United States Congress, which has the House of Representatives and the Senate.

• Judicial Branch: Interprets laws and ensures their application is constitutional. Led by the Supreme Court.

• Checks and Balances: A system of checks and balances is embedded in the Constitution to prevent any one branch of government from becoming too powerful, preserving a balance of power. Examples of checks:

  • Congress can impeach and remove the President or federal judges.
  • The President can veto laws passed by Congress.
  • The Judicial branch can declare laws passed by Congress unconstitutional.

• Bill of Rights: The first 10 amendments to the Constitution, designed to protect individual liberties. These amendments guarantee rights like freedom of speech, religion, press, assembly, and the right to bear arms.

• Amendments:

  • Amendment 1: Guarantees the rights to freedom of religion, speech, press, assembly, and to petition the government.
  • Amendment 2: Guarantees the right to bear arms.
  • Amendment 3: Protects individuals from being forced to quarter soldiers in their homes.
  • Amendment 4: Protects individuals from unreasonable searches and seizures.
  • Amendment 5: Protects individuals from self-incrimination and double jeopardy, and ensures due process of law.
  • Amendment 6: Guarantees the right to a speedy and public trial.
  • Amendment 7: Guarantees the right to a jury trial in civil cases.
  • Amendment 8: Protects individuals from excessive bail and cruel and unusual punishments.
  • Amendment 9: States that the enumeration of specific rights in the Constitution does not mean that other rights that are not listed are not protected.
  • Amendment 10: Reinforces the principle of federalism, stating that any powers not delegated to the federal government, nor denied to the states, are reserved to the states, or to the people.

• True: The Legislative Branch is also known as Congress.

• 27: There are a total of 27 amendments to the Constitution.

Explore the pivotal moments of the Colonial Era and the Road to Revolution. This quiz covers the Great Awakening, the three regions of the original 13 colonies, and events leading up to the American Revolution, including the Boston Tea Party. Test your understanding of these foundational topics in American history.