-
1215
Magna Carta
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
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. -
Mayflower Compact
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. -
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 -
English Bill of Rights
Guaranteed free speech and protection from cruel and unusual punishment -
Sugar Act
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 -
Stamp Act
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. -
Boston Massacre
British soldiers fired into crowd
5 colonists died -
Boston Tea Party
Revolutionaries dumped British Tea into the harbor -
Intolerable Acts
Colonists were forced to “Quarter,” or house, British troops -
Articles of Confederation Ratidied
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 -
Shay’s Rebellion
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. -
Northwest Ordinance
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 -
The Constitutional Convention
Drafting a New Constitution -
Judiciary Act
Established a Three-tiered Judicial Structure
1. District courts
2. Circuit courts
3. Supreme Court -
Federalist paper Gazette of the United States published
The National Gazette was a Democratic-Republican partisan newspaper that was first published on October 31, 1791. -
Whigs countered with National Gazette.
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. -
Dual Federalism
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) -
Bill of Rights ratified
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. -
Chief Justice John Marshall
Began to expand the power of the Supreme Court -
McCulloch v. Maryland
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." -
Gibbons v. Ogden
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
Democratic-Republican party split into today’s two major parties—Democrats, Republicans -
Dred Scott v. Sanford
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 -
Morrill Act
Granted large tracts of land to states; states sold land and used money for colleges -
Population of US
Population of US doubled between 1870 and 1916 -
Chinese Exclusion Act
Ended Chinese immigration to the US -
Plessy v. Ferguson
Ruled segregation was legal as long as the facilities were equal
“Separate but equal” doctrine -
17th amendment
Direct election of Senators -
16th amendment
gave Congress authority to set a federal income tax
Main source of US income -
Radio became the first form of electronic media
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. -
Native Americans
N. Americans granted citizenship -
Cooperative federalism
States and national governments worked together to deal with the Great Depression
Many cases about FDR's New Deal reached the Supreme Court. -
Great Society
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 New Deal Era
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 -
United States v. Miller
Ruled 2nd Amendment does not protect the right to have all types of weapons -
Minersville School District v. Gobitis
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) -
United States v. Darby
Upheld Fair Labor Standards Act; Commerce Clause allows Congress to regulate employment conditions -
West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette
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..." -
Korematsu v. the United States
Upheld involuntary internment of ethnically Japanese American citizens
1950s to Present -
National Security Council
Coordinates national security policy
Brings together the top military, foreign affairs, and intelligence officials in the administration -
Television replaced radio as most influential electronic media
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. -
Brown v. Board
Ruled segregation is illegal
"Separate is inherently unequal" -
Civil rights movement
Give minority interests voice in the political process -
Edwards v. South Carolina
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. -
Civil Rights Act
Outlaws discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. -
Miranda v. Arizona
Expanded rights of people accused of crimes
“Miranda Rights” -
Loving V. Virginia
Struck down all state laws banning interracial marriage -
Age Discrimination in Employment Act
Protects applicants and employees of 40+ years old from discrimination based on age in hiring, promotion, discharge, compensation, privileges, etc. of employment. -
Tinker v. Des Moines
Schools couldn’t prevent students from protesting the Vietnam War -
War Powers Resolution
President must consult with Congress before sending troops
Congress can force the president to end use of military with a concurrent resolution -
New federalism
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 -
Americans with Disabilities Act
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. -
Voting is a right and a duty in our democracy.
Less than 65% of eligible voters have voted in each presidential election since 1996. -
Issues in Federalism Today
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. -
Homeland Security
Reorganization of agencies already in place
Law enforcement
Border security
Transportation -
District of Columbia v. Heller
Ruled the 2nd Amendment protects an individual's right to keep and bear arms for self-defense -
D.C. v. Heller
Ruled 2nd Amendment right to bear arms includes the right to self defense -
McDonald v. Chicago
Ruled 2nd Amendment applies to federal, state, and local governments; upheld 2nd Amendment -
Obergefell v. Hodges
Ruled states must grant and recognize same-sex marriage
Republican presidents have appointed most of the Supreme Court justices since 1953.
