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Moved from rule of man to rule of law
Outlined individual rights which king could not violate
Included taxation and trial provisions -
Jamestown’s House of Burgesses -
Each charter guaranteed colonists the “rights of Englishmen.” -
King Charles required to sign the Petition of Right
Required monarchs to obtain Parliamentary approval before new taxes
Government could not unlawfully imprison people or establish military rule during times of peace -
The Pilgrim Code of Law was the first covenant with many basic elements of a constitution. It built upon earlier covenants, including charters and the Mayflower Compact, and was based on popular sovereignty with annual elections. It created an institutional framework with a General Court (legislature) that elected a governor and seven assistants as a council. It specified the powers of officials, required oaths, and provided trial by jury. -
Extended conflict between Charles and Parliament erupted into civil war in 1642. -
renewed conflicts and rebellion between the Crown and Parliament -
William and Mary chosen to rule, but had to govern according to statutes of Parliament -
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First direct tax on paper goods and legal documents
Stamp Act Congress met to protest the tax and it was repealed -
British soldiers fired into crowd
5 colonists died -
Revolutionaries dumped British Tea into the harbor
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Colonists were forced to “Quarter,” or house, British troops
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The Continental Congress issued paper money, known as “continentals.”
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On June 10, 1776, the Continental Congress appointed a committee of John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Robert Livingston, and Roger Sherman to draft a document expressing the intent of the 13 colonies to declare independence as states. Jefferson penned the original draft, the committee presented a revised version to the Continental Congress on July 2, and the Congress
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First National Government
Delegates aimed to have a confederation in which colonies kept their “sovereignty, freedom, and independence.”
Ratification delayed by argument over who would control western lands
Small states refused to ratify until they granted the entire confederation control over the lands -
Massachusetts farmers rebelled over prospect of losing land
Farmers attacked courthouses to keep judges from foreclosing on farms
Stormed military arsenal
Congress had no money to help
Showed that the greatest weakness of the Articles of Confederation was that they were incredibly weak. -
Established a plan for settling the Northwest Territory
Included disputed lands
Created system for admitting states to the Union
Banned slavery in the territory
Guided nation’s western expansion -
Published under the penname “Publius,” the Federalist Papers comprise 85 essays authored by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay, to persuade New York citizens to support the Constitution’s ratification. The Federalist Papers are still consulted by historians and lawyers to uncover the original intentions of the Constitution’s drafters, and to understand theoretical justifications for key constitutional provisions.
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Both state and national governments were equal authorities operating within their own spheres of influence
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Whigs countered with National Gazette
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Began to expand the power of the Supreme Court
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Power of judicial review
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"Power to tax is the power to destroy"
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Power of Fed. Govt. To regulate interstate commerce
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First national woman's rights convention in the US
Called for equal rights in voting, education, and property -
Dred Scott
Slave who sued for his and his family's freedom after being taken to a free state
Court said that Scott, as an African-American and previously property, was not a citizen
Gave him no legal standing to sue
Called the “greatest disaster” of the Supreme Court -
Granted large tracts of land to states; states sold land and used money for colleges
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Supreme Court during this time narrowly interpreted the 13th-15th amendments
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Wyoming Territory was the first to grant women the right to vote
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Susan B. Anthony refused to support the 15th amendment (equal voting rights regardless of race) because it didn’t extend voting rights to women.
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Barred entry to criminals
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Ended Chinese immigration to the US
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Ruled segregation was legal as long as the facilities were equal
“Separate but equal” doctrine -
gave Congress authority to set a federal income tax
Main source of US income -
Women were not guaranteed the right to vote until passage of the 19th Amendment in
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N. Americans granted citizenship
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Number of Reps per state based on population
Total number of Reps fixed by law at 435 -
The court saw Roosevelt's economic legislation as an assault on property rights
Ruled that some New Deal programs violated the Constitution -
Cooperative federalism (1930s-1963)
States and national governments worked together to deal with the Great Depression
Many cases about FDR's New Deal reached the Supreme Court. -
Upheld Fair Labor Standards Act; Commerce Clause allows Congress to regulate employment conditions
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General Staff in the Army’s historical branch began recording the official history of World War II in preparation for the United States Army in World War II series (“green books”)
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Upheld involuntary internment of ethnically Japanese American citizens
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television replaced radio as most influential electronic media
Modern Day: Internet has changed mass media: 1 in 3 people regularly get news onlin -
Women were not guaranteed the right to serve on a jury until the Civil Rights act of
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Great Society (LBJ, 1963-1980s)
Government program to eliminate poverty and social inequality
Johnson created creative federalism, which released national funds to achieve national goals.
If states didn’t cooperate, they would lose federal funding. -
Outlaws discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.
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Protects applicants and employees of 40+ years old from discrimination based on age in hiring, promotion, discharge, compensation, privileges, etc. of employment.
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Schools couldn’t prevent students from protesting the Vietnam War
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State laws were not updated to reflect this change
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Ronald Reagan believed state governments could better provide services to the people
Cut national grant money and relaxed national requirements -
Established the rationale for qualified immunity
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Tennessee v. Garner (1985)
Limited police use of lethal force -
Juries must consider if the officer believed force was reasonable
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Prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in all areas of public life, including jobs, schools, transportation, and all public and private places that are open to the general public.
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Planes hit the twin towers
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Ruled the 2nd Amendment protects an individual's right to keep and bear arms for self-defense
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Ruled 2nd Amendment applies to federal, state, and local governments; upheld 2nd Amendment
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Ruled states must grant and recognize same-sex marriage
Republican presidents have appointed most of the Supreme Court justices since 1953.