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1215
Magna Carta
Signed by King John and it limited the power of the king. It helped influence the Bill of Rights. -
Declaration of Independence
A document written by Thomas Jefferson and it listed all the bad things the King had done and declared the colonies separate from Britian. -
US Constitution
The document contains the United Sate's basic laws and rights of US citizens. -
The Bill of Rights
It's the first 10 amendments of the constitution and it gives US citizens their natural born rights. Like freedom of speech, right to bear arms, etc.. -
1st Amendment
Gives the right of freedom of speech, religion, and press. It also gives the right to a peaceful protest and to petition the government. -
2nd Amendment
Gives the right to bear arms -
3rd Amendment
Forbids soldiers to stay in peoples homes without the owner's permission. -
4th Amendment
The right to refuse a search of personal property without a warrant. -
5th Amendment
The right to a trial by jury. -
6th Amendment
The right to a speedy and fair trial. -
7th Amendment
The right to a jury trial in certain civil cases and inhibits courts from overturning a jury's findings of fact. -
8th Amendment
The government can't give excessive bail or excessive fines, or cruel and unusual punishments. -
9th Amendment
Says the rights of the people are not limited to just the rights listed in the Constitution. -
10th Amendent
States that any power not specifically given to the federal government by the Constitution belongs to the States and the people. -
11th Amendment
U.S court can't make a decision on a case that involves a state that is being sued by a person who doesn't live in that state. -
Marbury v. Madison
Judicial review - the Courts have the power to determine the constitutionality of acts of other branches of government. -
12th Amendment
That a voter must cast one distinct vote for an election candidate. -
McCulloch v. Maryland
The Supremacy clause - no state may pass a law that conflicts with a federal law. -
Gibbons v. Ogden
The Court ruled that a New York law requiring special licenses for steamboat operators was invalid by virtue of the Supremacy Clause and the Commerce Clause. The regulation of navigation by steamboat operators and others for purposes of conducting interstate commerce was a power reserved to and exercised by the Congress. -
Dred Scott v. Sanford
The Court ruled that Dred Scot was a slave, and thus, not a citizen of any state. As a result, he had no standing to sue in federal court for his freedom. (Before the 13th Amendment) -
13th Amendment
Abolishes slavery. -
14th Amendment
Grants African Americans that were emaciated after the civil war with citizenship and equal rights. -
15th Amendment
A person's right to vote can't be taken away from the US, a state, or for race, gender, and ethnicity. -
Plessy v. Ferguson
Segregation is legal as long as the facilities provided to both black and white people are equal. -
16th Amendment
Congress can levy a tax without apportioning it among the states. -
17th Amendment
Gives the right for citizens to vote for senators instead of state legislature, direct election -
Schenck v. United States
Freedom of speech can be limited during wartime. The government can restrict expressions that "would create a clear and present danger that they will bring about the substantive evils that Congress has a right to prevent." -
18th Amendment
Declared the production, transport, and sale of intoxicating liquors illegal, though it did not outlaw the actual consumption of alcohol. -
Volstead Act
Was passed to make sure the 18th Amendment was enforced. -
Roaring Twenties
Business booms, superficial prosperity; new lifestyles for women; growth of mass media; Red Scare -
19th Amendment
Gave women the right to vote. -
Great Depression
World trade declines, banks fail, high unemployment, urban and rural poverty; New Deal expands role of federal government -
20th Amendment
It was to set a term limit on elected federal government offices. -
21st Amendment
Ends the 18th Amendment, Prohibition is over. -
World War II
Dictators threaten world peace on 2 fronts-Europe and Pacific; mobilizes U.S. economy and industry; U.S. helps win war and becomes a world leader -
Cold War
Tension and competition between U.S. and Communist USSR; threat of nuclear war; McCarthyism (1950s) -
Postwar Boom
American Dream-social conformity, suburban and automobile culture, baby boom, consumerism, TV -
22nd Amendment
Says a person can't be elected more than twice for president and someone who fills an unexpired presidential term lasting more than two years is also prohibited from being elected president more than once. -
Brown v. Board of Education
The Court ruled that segregated schools were unconstitutional under the equal protection clause of the 14th amendment. "Separate is inherently unequal." -
Vietnam War Years
Domino theory-contain communism War divides the country-campus protest, draft resistance -
Civil Rights Movement
Nonviolent protest-voting rights, desegregation; federal support vs. states' resistance; Black Power movement and urban riots -
23rd Amendment
Gives residents of Washington, DC the right to vote for representatives in the Electoral College. -
Engel v. Vitale
New York's requirement of a state-composed prayer to begin the school day was declared an unconstitutional violation of the Establishment Clause. -
Abington School District v. Schempp
A Pennsylvania law requiring that each public school day open with Bible reading was struck down as violating the Establishment Clause. -
24th Amendment
The United States Constitution prohibits both Congress and the states from conditioning the right to vote in federal elections on payment of a poll tax or other types of tax. -
25th Amendment
The United States Constitution says that if the President becomes unable to do his job, the Vice President becomes the President. -
Tinker v. Des Moines
Students wearing black armbands to protest the Vietnam War was symbolic speech protected by the First Amendment. -
26th Amendment
Citizens who are 18 years of age or older can vote and cannot be denied or abridged by the United States or any state on account of age. -
Miller v. California
The Court ruled that obscenity is not protected speech. States and local governments have flexibility in determining what is obscene. -
27th Amendment
The United States Constitution prohibits any law that increases or decreases the salary of members of Congress from taking effect until the start of the next set of terms of office for representatives.
