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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 -
The House of Burgesses (1619-1776 CE) was the first English representative government in North America, established in July 1619 CE, for the purpose of passing laws and maintaining order in the Jamestown Colony of Virginia and the other settlements that had grown up around it.
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The Mayflower Compact was a set of rules for self-governance established by the English settlers who traveled to the New World on the Mayflower. When Pilgrims and other settlers set out on the ship for America in 1620, they intended to lay anchor in northern Virginia.
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Required monarchs to obtain Parliamentary approval before new taxes
Government could not unlawfully imprison people or establish military rule during times of peace -
Guaranteed free speech and protection from cruel and unusual punishment
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Sugar Act, also called Plantation Act or Revenue Act, (1764), in U.S. colonial history, British legislation aimed at ending the smuggling trade in sugar and molasses from the French and Dutch West Indies and at providing increased revenues to fund enlarged British Empire responsibilities following the French and Indian
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The Stamp Act of 1765 was ratified by the British parliament under King George III. It imposed a tax on all papers and official documents in the American colonies, though not in England.
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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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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 -
Drafting a New Constitution
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Established a Three-tiered Judicial Structure
1. District courts
2. Circuit courts
3. Supreme Court -
The National Gazette was a Democratic-Republican partisan newspaper that was first published on October 31, 1791.
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The National Gazette was a Democratic-Republican partisan newspaper that was first published on October 31, 1791. It was edited and published semiweekly by poet and printer Philip Freneau until October 23, 1793.
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Both state and national governments were equal authorities operating within their own spheres of influence
Strict reading
National government only had powers listed in Constitution
(Enumerated Powers) -
On December 15, 1791, the new United States of America ratified the Bill of Rights, the first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution, confirming the fundamental rights of its citizens. The First Amendment guarantees freedom of religion, speech, and the press, and the rights of peaceful assembly and petition.
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Began to expand the power of the Supreme Court
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Maryland taxed the national bank
Court ruled bank was necessary and proper
Maryland couldn’t tax bank b/c it could weaken the national government
"The power to tax is the power to destroy." -
Right of a state legislature to award a monopoly to operate a steamship line between NY and NJ
Court said only Congress has the right to regulate commerce between states -
Democratic-Republican party split into today’s two major parties—Democrats, Republicans -
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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Population of US doubled between 1870 and 1916
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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 -
Direct election of Senators
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gave Congress authority to set a federal income tax
Main source of US income -
From about 1920 to 1945, radio developed into the first electronic mass medium, monopolizing “the airwaves” and defining, along with newspapers, magazines, and motion pictures, an entire generation of mass culture. About 1945 the appearance of television began to transform radio's content and role.
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N. Americans granted citizenship
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States and national governments worked together to deal with the Great Depression
Many cases about FDR's New Deal reached the Supreme Court. -
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. -
The court saw Roosevelt's economic legislation as an assault on property rights
Ruled that some New Deal programs violated the Constitution
Roosevelt served 12 years as president (1933-1945) and packed the court with nominees that supported expansion of gov't. Power -
Ruled 2nd Amendment does not protect the right to have all types of weapons
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The Supreme Court ruled that a child could be expelled for refusing to salute the American flag or recite the pledge (these actions violated the child’s religious beliefs)
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Upheld Fair Labor Standards Act; Commerce Clause allows Congress to regulate employment conditions -
The court reversed itself and decided unity was not a sufficient reason to overrule religious beliefs.
Freedom of Speech and of the Press
"Congress shall make no law... abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press..." -
Upheld involuntary internment of ethnically Japanese American citizens
1950s to Present -
Coordinates national security policy
Brings together the top military, foreign affairs, and intelligence officials in the administration -
Television replaced radio as the dominant broadcast medium by the 1950s and took over home entertainment. Approximately 8,000 U.S. households had television sets in 1946; 45.7 million had them by 1960.
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Ruled segregation is illegal
"Separate is inherently unequal" -
Give minority interests voice in the political process
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187 African-American students gathered at the state capitol to protest racial injustice
Students did not end the protest when police told them to and were arrested.
Court said the state had no authority to disperse the students, as they were protesting legally. -
Outlaws discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.
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Expanded rights of people accused of crimes
“Miranda Rights” -
Struck down all state laws banning interracial marriage
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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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President must consult with Congress before sending troops
Congress can force the president to end use of military with a concurrent resolution -
Returned some authority to state governments
Ronald Reagan believed state governments could better provide services to the people
Cut national grant money and relaxed national requirements -
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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Less than 65% of eligible voters have voted in each presidential election since 1996. -
Congress gave states authority to manage welfare systems with block grants
After 9/11, powers of government expanded
Dept. of Homeland Security was formed to protect the nation from terrorism and natural disasters. -
Reorganization of agencies already in place
Law enforcement
Border security
Transportation -
Ruled the 2nd Amendment protects an individual's right to keep and bear arms for self-defense
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Ruled 2nd Amendment right to bear arms includes the right to 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.
